A three-part roadmap
The outcome of the Transition Pathway is a three-part roadmap. It is a co-developed set of actions in the form of a three-legged roadmap which co-implementation will make possible a more resilient, sustainable and circular industry able to commit and contribute to the Green Deal ambitions and goals. It is a marvellous vision, but getting to the specifics, integrating them and coordinating the dance is going to be more complicated than “just” agreeing to an overarching pathway. We should not forget that most of chemical are SME´s, as they often lack the time, experience and skilled staff necessary to successfully navigate in a VUCA environment.
In my view, there are four transversal areas that determine how to accelerate the development of the decarbonisation roadmap, which are policy, technical options, funding and synergies. In the case of the Transition Pathway the roadmap is composed of three components, which are action-oriented, technology and regulatory.
There are two clear, common topics, the state of decarbonisation technologies that can accelerate the global shift towards decarbonisation and the need of a change in the policy framework, which is fundamental to make decarbonisation a reality.
And on the other hand, where I do make a split between collaboration efforts and funding opportunities, both topics are combined in the action-oriented component together with clean energy supply and feedstock diversification.
The roadmap, which represents a
group of topics and actions to be implemented, is constituted of three components:
An action-oriented component grouping the topics under three cross-cutting themes: collaboration for innovation; clean energy supply; and feedstock diversification.
A technology component identifying electrification, hydrogen, biomass, waste, Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) & Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), as well as process efficiency.
A regulatory component that collects the existing legislation, including major research and innovation (R&I) initiatives, influencing digital and sustainable development of the chemical industry.
The regulatory component is the most detailed action, time framed of all three components, even though the timeline remains indicative. There are actions linked to the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability towards Toxic-Free Environment, the Industrial Emissions Directive revision, the SDG´s roadmap, the Eco-design or Sustainable Products Regulation and the Fit for 55 package.
In the technology component I find back all the elements of the survival package, with slight differences in the categorization. What I like is the clear link with EU initiatives per technological transition, for example, REPowerEU, the Renewable Energy Directive or Hubs4Circularity.
Lastly, I find that the action-oriented component is a hotchpotch of ideas pivoting mainly around competitiveness, investments, funding and infrastructure with a rough indication of a timeline.
How all these items will be picked up and adopted by Member States and companies constitutes the next real challenge in the horizon.
