The US Petrochemical Buildout: America’s Next Big Climate Mistake

A CIEL analysis finds that 118 planned or underway petrochemical projects in the US could add 153.8 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions annually, potentially increasing the sector's share of US greenhouse gas emissions from 5.2% to over 7%. The report highlights that ten megaprojects account for half of these potential emissions and that ammonia production is a significant growth area, with 95% of proposed US ammonia production derived from methane gas. Furthermore, the buildout is concentrated in already polluted areas like Louisiana's "Cancer Alley" and the Ohio River Valley, deepening environmental injustices.

• Planned petrochemical projects in the US could increase annual emissions by 153.8 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e), which is comparable to the emissions of all US domestic commercial aviation or nearly 40 coal power plants.
• The petrochemical industry currently accounts for 5.2% of the 6.3 billion metric tonnes of annual CO2e emissions in the US; however, 118 planned or underway projects could add an amount equal to 2.4% of all US greenhouse gas emissions, potentially raising the sector's total contribution to over 7%.
• A small number of large-scale projects drive the majority of the projected emissions, with ten megaprojects accounting for 50% of the potential emissions from the buildout.
• Ammonia production is a major driver of projected emissions, with over one-third of new emissions coming from this sector; despite being marketed as a clean fuel, 95% of proposed US ammonia production is based on methane gas.
• The buildout is concentrated in regions already suffering from industrial pollution, specifically the Ohio River Valley and the Gulf South. In Louisiana's "Cancer Alley" (between New Orleans and Baton Rouge), 26 new projects are planned in an area where lifetime cancer rates in St John the Baptist Parish are estimated by the EPA to be 800 times the US average.

APA

Pace, B., & Durland, L. J. (2024). The US Petrochemical Buildout: America’s Next Big Climate Mistake. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/the-us-petrochemical-buildout-americas-next-big-climate-mistake/

Chicago

Pace, Barnaby, and Lindsey Jurca Durland. The US Petrochemical Buildout: America’s Next Big Climate Mistake. Center for International Environmental Law, 2024. https://www.ciel.org/the-us-petrochemical-buildout-americas-next-big-climate-mistake/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pace |first1=Barnaby |last2=Durland |first2=Lindsey Jurca |title=The US Petrochemical Buildout: America’s Next Big Climate Mistake |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=24 September 2024 |url=https://www.ciel.org/the-us-petrochemical-buildout-americas-next-big-climate-mistake/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pace2024petrochemical, author = {Pace, Barnaby and Durland, Lindsey Jurca}, title = {{The US Petrochemical Buildout: America’s Next Big Climate Mistake}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ciel.org/the-us-petrochemical-buildout-americas-next-big-climate-mistake/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }