CO₂: a renewable feedstock

Speaking at the opening session of the Carbon Dioxide Utilization Summit taking place in Brussels from 30-31 October, Klotz addressed the importance of carbon dioxide as a renewable resource that can be considered a key strategy to support the European chemical sector sustainable development and future competitivenes. Utilising CO₂ can also demonstrate chemistry’s potential to solve major societal challenges such as healthy ageing, energy security, and climate change among others.

Klotz stressed the need for a change in mentality towards CO₂, saying “Europe can no longer afford to look at CO₂ as pollution or waste to be disposed of; but rather as a renewable resource for the future.”

CO₂ as a feedstock

CO₂ as feedstock for chemistry can be used in many different ways, such as renewable energy storage and as an ingredient to make polymers and new materials. The next step will be to make CO₂ a key enabler for artificial photosynthesis via chemical processes. In a recent Financial Times special report, Cefic Director General Hubert Mandery said “artificial photosynthesis is the real holy grail… When we can use sunlight to turn CO₂ into energy to heat our houses or power our cars, we can reinvent the way we live.”

Klotz sees CO₂ asthe only renewable resource Europe has in abundance and can play a vital role in ensuring Europe’s future as a competitive economy.

He continued: “Innovation is about change. If Europe wants to be competitive on the world scene it must urgently change its approach to innovation and look into leading edge technologies. Other regions of the world, such as the United States and Asia, are racing to develop a competitive economy based on renewable resources.”

“European countries must cooperate now to ensure that a broader vision for a CO₂ economy in Europe is born and implemented, enabling the chemicals sector to design and produce new, innovative technologies and products in the coming years and to immediately use its advantages by bringing together economy, goods, growth and social welfare.”

SPIRE and new uses for CO₂

Klotz also argued that European initiatives are needed that could create a space for a new mind-set for resources, efficiency and innovation in Europe, including for new uses for CO₂. One example is the Public Private Partnership for Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency (SPIRE), which aims to enable new technologies and best practices in important stages of existing, large-scale value chains that will contribute to a resource efficient process industry. CO₂ could play a breakthrough role in this context.

Cefic has also brought together all relevant stakeholders, including eminent scientists, to jointly create a roadmap that will help Europe to achieve global leadership in innovation and this will be available early 2014.

Klotz concluded: “If Europe aims to achieve global leadership in sustainable technologies together with jobs and growth the progress we make in the next 10 years will be of critical importance.”

Learn more:

To know more about the potential role of CO₂ in the future of Europe’s economy, competitiveness and energy efficiency, please contact Dr. Gernot Klotz, Executive Director for Research and Innovation at Cefic ([email protected]) or Sophie Wilmet, Innovation Counsellor at CEFIC ([email protected]).

Source: Cefic, press release, 2013-10-31.