The U.S. chemical sector is a major contributor to all aspects of the national economy. It is also a major source of emissions and health hazards through its products and production processes. Federal policymakers have an opportunity to help achieve two key aims for the sector—continued international competitiveness and safer products for Americans—by investing in programs to advance innovative production processes and feedstocks. The federal government’s scale and ability to develop a market for chemical products is unique and potentially critical to incentivize domestic investments in the chemical sector. Large investments will be required to keep American production competitive with new projects in Asia and Europe.
In addition to this policy brief on federal action, this series includes two accompanying fact sheets on ethylene and ammonia, which together are responsible for the majority of bulk chemical emissions in the United States.
View our related white paper from April 2024: Decarbonize and Defossilize: Transformative Policies to Reduce Chemical Industry Carbon Emissions.
