Chemical Catalyst Collaborative

Making chemicals safer for health and climate  

The Chemical Catalyst Collaborative advances technical and policy solutions that reduce toxic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the chemical manufacturing industry while preserving good jobs.

Through timely research, forums, and workshops, the Chemical Catalyst Collaborative aims to build momentum for key strategies among the wide range of organizations, businesses, and individuals committed to solving these challenges.

The products of the chemical industry are pervasive in our lives and will continue to be critical for our economic success. For that reason, we seek to reduce the impact on workers, local communities, and society at large. Our initial efforts focus on facilities and processes in the U.S. Gulf South, particularly around plastic production, and we aim to expand our geographic reach in the coming years.  
 
 

Who we are 

The Chemical Catalyst Collaborative is a partnership of five organizations: the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Bend the Curve, BlueGreen Alliance, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, and World Resources Institute.   
 

Our focus areas 

• Protecting communities’ health. Communities near chemical manufacturing plants are exposed to some of the highest levels of toxic emissions.¹ More than seven million Americans experience significant cancer risks from the hazardous air pollution associated with chemical facilities.² Workers and fenceline communities face the daily threat of explosions, fires, and chemical disasters.
• Reducing climate pollution. Over 5% of global direct greenhouse gases³ are emitted by the chemical sector, which also consumes more energy through its production and feedstock use than any other industry.⁴ In the United States, chemicals manufacturing is the highest greenhouse gas-emitting industrial sector.
• Advancing environmental justice. Black, Latino, and low-income communities near chemical facilities—such as in Louisiana’s River Parishes or along the Houston Ship Channel—bear some of the heaviest pollution burdens in the country.⁵
• Preserving good jobs. Essential products of the chemical industry are woven into more than 90% of the world’s material economy. The industry provides high-paying manufacturing jobs and an economic lifeline to communities whose prosperity still depends on its success.⁶  
   

Events 

The Chemical Catalyst Collaborative aims to bring together interested stakeholders to learn about, discuss, and design technical and policy solutions that reduce hazardous chemical exposures and climate pollution from the chemical industry. Our events include in-person and virtual convenings, workshops, and webinars. 

Register for our Making Chemicals Safer for Health and Climate virtual convening
June 24, 2026 | 2:30–4:30 p.m. ET  
 

Stay up to date

Join our contact list to stay up to date on upcoming events. Event registrants will be added automatically.
 

Funders 

This work is supported by the Global Industry Hub and Blue Horizons Foundation. 

1 Environmental Defense Fund. (2024). Chemical Exposure Action Map. https://chemicalactionmap.edf.org/
2 Ish, Jennifer L., et al. "Industrial Air Emissions and Breast Cancer Incidence in a United States-Wide Prospective Cohort." Epidemiology 36, no. 3 (2025): 391–400. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000001837
3 Karali N, Khanna N, Shaw N (2024). Climate Impact of Primary Production of Plastics. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/12s624vf
4 Levi, Peter, and Araceli Fernandez Pales. "From Energy to Chemicals." International Energy Agency, July 2018. https://www.iea.org/commentaries/from-energy-to-chemicals
5 Terrell KA, St Julien (2022). Air pollution is linked to higher cancer rates among black or impoverished communities in Louisiana. Env. Research Letters. 17(1):014033. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4360
6 Heintz J, Pollin R (2011). The Economic Benefits of a Green Chemical Industry in the United States: Renewing Manufacturing Jobs While Protecting Health and the Environment. PERI, U. Mass. Amherst / BlueGreen Alliance. https://peri.umass.edu/publication/the-economic-benefits-of-a-green-che…