A case for decreasing plastic production to reduce the European Union’s dependence on fossil fuels and Russia

The report highlights the high energy and feedstock intensity of the EU's plastic production industry, noting its significant reliance on Russian fossil fuels. It argues that reducing plastic production, particularly packaging, is a critical but overlooked lever for enhancing EU energy security and meeting climate goals.

• Plastic production is the most energy- and feedstock-intensive subsector of the EU petrochemicals industry, accounting for 21.98% of industrial gas and 37.58% of oil consumption in the EU.
• In 2020, plastic production was responsible for approximately 9% of the EU's total final fossil gas consumption and 8% of its total final oil consumption.

APA

Ghiotto, A., & Alvarès, D. L. (2022). A case for decreasing plastic production to reduce the European Union’s dependence on fossil fuels and Russia. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/September-2022-CIEL-BFFP-Winter-is-coming-report.pdf

Chicago

Ghiotto, Amadeo, and Delphine Lévi Alvarès. A case for decreasing plastic production to reduce the European Union’s dependence on fossil fuels and Russia. Center for International Environmental Law, 2022. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/September-2022-CIEL-BFFP-Winter-is-coming-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ghiotto |first1=Amadeo |last2=Alvarès |first2=Delphine Lévi |title=A case for decreasing plastic production to reduce the European Union’s dependence on fossil fuels and Russia |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=September 2022 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/September-2022-CIEL-BFFP-Winter-is-coming-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ghiotto2022case, author = {Ghiotto, Amadeo and Alvarès, Delphine Lévi}, title = {{A case for decreasing plastic production to reduce the European Union’s dependence on fossil fuels and Russia}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/September-2022-CIEL-BFFP-Winter-is-coming-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }