Climate recommendations from ACC

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has issued a set of policy recommendations, which, it says could “enable dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions” and help the administration to achieve its climate goals. Specifically, it called on Congress to enact legislation to

1. Increase government investment and scientific resources to develop and deploy low emission technologies in the manufacturing sector

2. Adopt transparent, predictable, technology- and revenue-neutral, market-based, economy-wide carbon price signals; and

3. Encourage the adoption of emissions-avoiding solutions and technologies throughout the economy to achieve significant emissions savings

“As a nation, we need to boost clean manufacturing innovation and supersize the use of energy-saving materials and technologies. The third piece is a clear, consistent and effective way to reduce emissions economy-wide,” said ACC president and CEO Chris Jahn. The association added that its recommendation for low-emissions manufacturing technologies could

* Facilitate public-private collaborations to overcome barriers

* Expand federal R&D for breakthrough processes such as direct air capture and electric steam crackers

* Speed the deployment of large-scale carbon capture, utilisation and storage; and * Increase the use of combined heat and power

“Congress also must broaden the definition of ‘recycling’ used in federal programs to include advanced recycling technologies, and accelerate the deployment of these technologies, so that recycled feedstocks can be used instead of virgin materials,” the ACC said.