The new analysis shows dire consequences for US climate goals over the next five years.

WASHINGTON (February 12, 2025) — Rhodium Group released a new report detailing the full lifecycle of pollution from the United States petrochemical industry. The data revealed that today, the industry is responsible for five percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, equivalent to as many as 90 coal-fired power plants. If allowed to continue growing unchecked, the petrochemical industry’s share of US carbon pollution could increase by up to 32 percent in just five years.

“Petrochemical pollution is not only a public health threat but endangers our country’s ability to address the climate crisis,” said Brandi Jenkins, deputy director, Beyond Petrochemicals. “The data is clear, in just five years, the petrochemical expansion could add nearly 30 new coal plants worth of carbon pollution. Those greenhouse gases come along with all sorts of toxic air pollutants that cause cancer, premature births, and a whole host of health problems for nearby communities.” 

The report adds to mounting evidence revealing the environmental and climate dangers of petrochemicals. Recent research from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab found that global plastic production from petrochemicals emits as much carbon pollution as 600 coal-fired power plants yearly.

“Petrochemical production is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions today and is on track to expand its footprint by decade’s end without policy action,” said Ben King, a report co-author and associate director of Rhodium Group’s climate and energy practice. “Deep decarbonization will require the U.S. address emissions across the entire petrochemical lifecycle as well as develop and scale petrochemical substitutes.”

When evaluating the potential range of emissions growth of 6-32 percent by 2030, two key drivers of pollution rose to the top of the heap: ammonia and ethylene. Ammonia is one of the most GHG-intensive petrochemical processes and one of the largest sources of GHG emissions in the petrochemical industry to date.

If planned projects are completed, ethylene would be the second most significant growth driver. While cheap domestic fuel gives the United States a market advantage in ethylene production, recent industry reports suggest a severe global oversupply could lead to increased volatility in the ethylene market.

“This level of uncertainty for the future of this sector makes it an increasingly bad bet for the future of our economy,” added Jenkins.

The rate at which new ammonia and ethylene production comes online by the decade's end will significantly influence the projected pollution boom. However, Beyond Petrochemicals’ partners across Texas, Louisiana, and the Ohio River Valley are pushing back against the toxic impacts of ammonia and ethylene production.

“While much work has been done to spur decarbonatization in other sectors, the petrochemical industry is often overlooked,” said Jenkins. “Our campaign is focused on stopping the petrochemical expansion, leading to the halt of 19 projects so far, preventing 33 million tons of new carbon pollution each year. And we are just getting started.”

To understand the lifecycle GHG footprint of the U.S. petrochemical industry, Rhodium Group researchers conducted assessments for a range of petrochemical feedstocks and the emissions at petrochemical plants themselves. So-called “end-of-life” emissions resulting from the use and disposal of petrochemical products were also accounted for. Altogether, these analyses provide the full picture of the U.S. petrochemical industry’s carbon footprint.

Read the full report here.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Smelser, matt@beyondpetrochemicals.org

About Beyond Petrochemicals

Launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in September 2022, Beyond Petrochemicals: People Over Pollution aims to halt the rapid expansion of petrochemical and plastic pollution in the United States. The campaign draws on the success of the Beyond Coal campaign, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Bloomberg’s Beyond Carbon campaign, to turbocharge existing efforts led by frontline communities to block the rapid expansion of 120+ petrochemical projects concentrated in three target geographies – Louisiana, Texas, and the Ohio River Valley. The campaign also works to establish stricter rules for existing petrochemical plants to safeguard the health of American communities. To date, Beyond Petrochemicals has helped raise awareness and lead timely collaboration efforts using its four pillars of community leadership, data and research, legislation and litigation, and stakeholder engagement to accelerate its goals. For more information, please visit us online and follow us on LinkedIn.