Nature Positive: Role of the Chemical Sector

The global chemical sector, valued at $4 trillion, is a major driver of nature loss through pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and freshwater use. The report argues that transitioning to a 'nature-positive' model—halting and reversing nature loss by 2030—can unlock $320 billion in annual business opportunities. It outlines five priority actions: increasing manufacturing efficiency and renewable energy use, improving water stewardship, sourcing responsibly (including bio-based materials), supporting nature conservation and restoration, and reducing pollution through circularity and product innovation. The document emphasizes the interdependence of climate and nature goals, urging companies to integrate nature strategies into their net-zero transition plans using frameworks like ACT-D and AR3T.

• The global chemical sector is a critical industrial player, providing essential materials for 95% of all manufactured goods worldwide and generating annual revenues of approximately $4 trillion.
• The sector is a major contributor to global environmental degradation, acting as the largest industrial energy consumer and the third largest industry subsector for direct carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for about 7% of global and 20% of all industrial greenhouse gas emissions.
• The chemical industry has a critical impact on freshwater resources, with the industry as a whole using 5%-10% of global freshwater resources. In Europe, chemicals and petroleum refining account for 11% of freshwater use.
• Pollution from the sector significantly impacts planetary boundaries, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous cycles. In Europe, 22% of surface water bodies and 28% of groundwater are significantly affected by diffuse agricultural pollution.
• The shift toward bio-based feedstocks, while reducing fossil fuel dependency, introduces risks of land-use change; land use is estimated to account for 78% of the cumulative negative impacts from the chemical sector.
• Implementing five priority actions—manufacturing efficiency, water stewardship, responsible sourcing, nature conservation, and pollution reduction—could unlock over $320 billion in annual cost savings and revenue upside by 2030.
• The report identifies specific levers for manufacturing efficiency, noting that energy and resource-use improvements could contribute to 40% of the sector's long-term emissions reduction targets by 2030.
• Optimized freshwater management strategies could potentially reduce water withdrawal and consumption for companies in the sector by up to 30% by 2030.
• The report advocates for the adoption of the ACT-D (Assess, Commit, Transform, Disclose) and AR3T (Avoid, Reduce, Restore & Regenerate, Transform) frameworks to systematically manage nature-related impacts.

APA

World Economic Forum (2024). Nature Positive: Role of the Chemical Sector. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Role_of_the_Chemical_Sector_2023.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Nature Positive: Role of the Chemical Sector. 2024. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Role_of_the_Chemical_Sector_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Nature Positive: Role of the Chemical Sector |date=April 2024 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Role_of_the_Chemical_Sector_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2024nature, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Nature Positive: Role of the Chemical Sector}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Role_of_the_Chemical_Sector_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }