Oil Refining Emissions Cut Points

The RMI report outlines a value chain approach to decarbonize the oil refining and petrochemical industry, which was operationally responsible for 3 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019.

• The oil refining and petrochemical industry was operationally responsible for 3 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. A 1 percent reduction in emissions from these facilities is equivalent to removing three million gasoline-powered cars from the road.
• Decarbonization of oil refining and petrochemical feedstock manufacturing requires a three-part strategy: reducing conventional fuel demand through measures like vehicle electrification to scale back capacity; using bio-based feedstocks for biofuels (such as sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel) and adopting clean hydrogen; and adopting a circular carbon economy approach focused on reducing, reusing, recycling, and removing carbon.
• Even if gasoline and diesel demand ceased immediately, the oil industry would remain necessary for producing petrochemicals, including plastic components for solar panels and fiberglass resins for wind turbine blades.

APA

RMI (2022). Oil Refining Emissions Cut Points. https://rmi.org/resources/oil-refining-emissions-cut-points/

Chicago

RMI. Oil Refining Emissions Cut Points. 2022. https://rmi.org/resources/oil-refining-emissions-cut-points/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Oil Refining Emissions Cut Points |date=1 December 2022 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/oil-refining-emissions-cut-points/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2022oil, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Oil Refining Emissions Cut Points}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/oil-refining-emissions-cut-points/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }