Industry
Beyond Fossil Feedstocks: Methanol-to-Olefins and the Future of Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing
Plastics underpin modern life. They are used in packaging, textiles, and medical devices, and are critical to clean energy technologies such as solar panels and EV components. Nearly all plastics today are derived from fossil fuels and originate from a small set of primary chemicals known as olefins. Olefins are…
Toward a New Carbon Economy
The energy transition is often described as a journey toward a zero-carbon future. This framing has been useful in highlighting the urgency of climate action and the need for emissions reductions, but when taken too literally, it creates the impression that progress means eliminating carbon from our economy. In fact,…
Unlocking Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete Through Book and Claim
Cement and concrete are the most widely used human-made materials on Earth, with their consumption closely tied to economic growth and urbanization, and their climate impact responsible for approximately 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions. The sector is often described as hard to abate due to high thermal energy requirements…
From Roadmap to Reality: A New Interactive Hub for Tracking Global Progress on Carbon Dioxide Removal
RMI and Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability join forces to tackle carbon dioxide removal knowledge gap.
How Electrification Can Shrink the Emissions in Everyday Products
Solar panels, fertilizers, and even your workout gear contain chemicals that are derived from fossil fuels. These chemicals pose a dual fossil fuel challenge — they are made from fossil fuels, but the high-temperature heat used in production is also powered by fossil fuels. This latter step contributes a significant…
