Greenhouse gas neutrality: A qualitative analysis of perceived sustainability tensions in the German chemical industry DOI Creative Commons
Janine Heck, Stephan von Delft, Jens Leker

et al.

Energy Research & Social Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 112, P. 103525 - 103525

Published: March 29, 2024

The chemical industry plays a critical role in achieving climate neutrality. While several recent studies have concluded that greenhouse gas-neutral is technically feasible, implementation seems to lag behind. This study addresses this issue and contributes the literature on corporate sustainability by providing contextual perspective of tensions. Specifically, investigates perceived tensions managers their firms' quest reduce gas (GHG) emissions, how they react these thereby draws paradox theory. A qualitative content analysis interviews with from 22 companies Germany identifies six tensions, which four occur very frequently. responses are grouped into categories: Business success vs. GHG savings (1), Missing availability (2), vs other ecological impact (3) Desire for actual behaviour (4). Energy identified as an overarching topic through linked. Therefore, it response well framework conditions around energy, determine if either amplified or reduced.

Language: Английский

Techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment for catalytic fast pyrolysis of mixed plastic waste DOI Creative Commons
Geetanjali Yadav, Avantika Singh, Abhijit Dutta

et al.

Energy & Environmental Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 16(9), P. 3638 - 3653

Published: Jan. 1, 2023

This study analyzes catalytic fast pyrolysis as a conversion technology for mixed plastic waste, highlighting key economic and environmental drivers potential opportunities process improvements.

Language: Английский

Citations

59
The rise of green energy metal: Could lithium threaten the status of oil? DOI
Chi‐Wei Su, Xuefeng Shao, Zhijie Jia

et al.

Energy Economics, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 121, P. 106651 - 106651

Published: April 1, 2023

Language: Английский

Citations

55
Ending fossil-based growth: Confronting the political economy of petrochemical plastics DOI Creative Commons
Joachim Peter Tilsted, Fredric Bauer,

Carolyn Deere Birkbeck

et al.

One Earth, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 6(6), P. 607 - 619

Published: June 1, 2023

The expanding petrochemical industry depends on fossil fuels both as feedstock and a source of energy is at the heart intertwined global crises relating to plastics, climate, toxic emissions. Addressing these requires uprooting deep-seated lock-ins that sustain plastics. This perspective identifies stand in way ambitious emission reductions ending plastic pollution. We emphasize addressing growing production consumption confronting political economy petrochemicals. put forward key elements needed address dual challenges moving away from unsustainable plastics drastically reducing emissions sector argue for attention links between which turn involves challenging entrenched power structures vested interests linked fossil-based economy. A critical step would be ensuring petrochemicals related upstream issues upcoming treaty.

Language: Английский

Citations

50
Fossil fuel companies' climate communication strategies: Industry messaging on renewables and natural gas DOI Creative Commons
Yutong Si, Dipa Desai,

Diana Bozhilova

et al.

Energy Research & Social Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 98, P. 103028 - 103028

Published: March 28, 2023

Research shows that multinational oil and gas companies have recently made a strategic shift away from outright climate denial to more nuanced discourses of delay. Communication on social media is an under-analyzed part the fossil fuel industry's strategy delay energy transition fuels renewable future. This study examines how four (Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, TotalEnergies) are communicating about by analyzing tweets published their global Twitter accounts. Each these different technologies in context showcasing own projects. TotalEnergies BP focus mostly solar, ExxonMobil biofuels, Shell hydrogen; geothermal hydropower hardly mentioned any companies. The number mentioning renewables increased rapidly after 2015. Topic modeling often together with natural gas, emphasizing both essential for emissions reductions. Similarly, computational text analysis reveals highlight good including promoting its role reductions, presenting as cleaner future, critical meeting growing societal demand energy. pattern communication - linking corporate response change suggests evolution companies' efforts obstruct action.

Language: Английский

Citations

45
How “clean” is the hydrogen economy? Tracing the connections between hydrogen and fossil fuels DOI Creative Commons
Rubén Vezzoni

Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 50, P. 100817 - 100817

Published: Feb. 3, 2024

Hydrogen is experiencing a resurgence in energy transition debates. Before representing solution, however, the existing hydrogen economy still climate change headache: over 99 % of production depends on fossil fuels, oil refining accounts for 42 demand, and its transportation intertwined with infrastructure, like natural gas pipelines. This article investigates path-dependent dynamics shaping interconnections industry. It draws global networks (GPN) approach political research to provide comprehensive review current prospective end-uses hydrogen, modes transport, industrial actors state strategies, along major facilities holders intellectual property rights. The results presented this suggest that superimposition private agendas may jeopardise viability future systems requires counterbalancing forces override negative consequences transitions.

Language: Английский

Citations

29
Diversify or die: Strategy options for oil majors in the sustainable energy transition DOI Creative Commons
Krista Halttunen, Raphael Slade, Iain Staffell

et al.

Energy Research & Social Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 104, P. 103253 - 103253

Published: Sept. 15, 2023

Mitigating climate change requires an urgent transition of the oil and gas industry. We develop two typologies corporate strategy diversification options for international companies (IOCs) in sustainable energy transition. Data from semi-structured interviews with industry professionals are thematically analysed considered context wider literature. The resulting framework is more comprehensive than has been previously published. find gaps companies' strategic readiness transition, especially preparing ramp-down fossil fuel-based core business. Diversification evaluated terms fit between different strategies capabilities. Many at least some existing capabilities majors, but while there potential to contribute positively current scale remains inadequate meeting global goals. dilemma that creates IOCs essentially existential one. Future research should investigate whether can play active part how drive necessary action.

Language: Английский

Citations

28
Contesting just transitions: Climate delay and the contradictions of labour environmentalism DOI Creative Commons
Shimfe Grace Harry, Tomas Maltby, Kacper Szulecki

et al.

Political Geography, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 112, P. 103114 - 103114

Published: April 18, 2024

The notion of 'just transition' (JT) is an attempt to align climate and energy objectives with the material concerns industrial workers, frontline communities, marginalised groups. Despite potential for fusing social environmental justice, there growing concern that concept being mobilised in practice as a form 'climate delayism': problem more ambiguous than open forms denialism it draws multiple conflictual agents, practices, discourses. Using historical materialist framework, attentive both energy-capital capital-labour relations, we show how JT vulnerable forces relations delay across fossil capital hegemonic projects. We review this through engagement obstructionism literature theory labour environmentalism: political trade unionists workers issues. As tensions within movement surface amidst unsettling carbon hegemony, assess degree which (organised) labour—as internally differentiated, contradictory movement—is participating breakdown 'praxis delay'. Trade unions are often implicated resisting or undermining transitions, but related significantly their structural power vis hegemony. Notably, negotiations themselves structurally embedded economy. general preferences over justice might be prevalent neither universal nor inevitable; contested terrain, labour-environmental struggles remain imperative building just futures.

Language: Английский

Citations

13
Networks of climate obstruction: Discourses of denial and delay in US fossil energy, plastic, and agrichemical industries DOI Creative Commons
Alaina Kinol, Yutong Si,

John Kinol

et al.

PLOS Climate, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 4(1), P. e0000370 - e0000370

Published: Jan. 15, 2025

The use of fossil-derived hydrocarbons in fossil energy, plastic production, and agriculture makes these three sectors mutually reinforcing reliant on sustained fuel extraction. In this paper, we examine the ways plastics, agrichemicals industries interact social media using Twitter (renamed X as 2023) data analysis, explore implications interactions for policy. Content analysis text tweets from two largest US corporations a major trade association each sector (three discrete accounts sector) reveals coordinated messaging identifies synergistic themes among sectors. Network shows substantial engagement common external entities frequently mentioned sector. To understand discursive strategies twitter networks petrochemical derivative sectors, propose discourses climate obstruction framework, adapted expanding Lamb et al.’s (2020) delay framework. Our framework integrates both denial because an integration were found our suggesting efforts to obstruct action. suggests that deny policy are aligned across reinforce existing infrastructure inhibit change. Exceptions alignment emerge few distinct sector-specific goals, including contrasting messages about biofuel. Despite some disparate views different priorities similar extractive hegemony undermine clearly evident These findings suggest more research is needed collaborative plastic, agrichemical producers influence energy

Language: Английский

Citations

1
Lithium dreams, local struggles: Navigating the geopolitics and socio-ecological costs of a low-carbon future DOI Creative Commons

Muhammad Sikandar Ali Chaudary

Energy Research & Social Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 121, P. 103952 - 103952

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

Citations

1
Imagining circular carbon: A mitigation (deterrence) strategy for the petrochemical industry DOI Creative Commons
Ellen Palm, Joachim Peter Tilsted, Valentin Vogl

et al.

Environmental Science & Policy, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 151, P. 103640 - 103640

Published: Nov. 17, 2023

Petrochemical producers both rely upon and generate some of the most problematic substances in current age socioecological crisis: fossil fuels plastics. With mounting calls to cap fuel extraction as well plastics production, industry appears be caught between a rock hard place. Nonetheless, betting on continuously increasing global plastic demand, petrochemical production is expanding significantly. This predicament raises question how attempts square with need address environmental issues. In recent years, leading actors around have promoted notions carbon circularity desirable mitigation strategy. this paper, we examine strategy, using discourse analysis uncover what refer imaginary circular carbon. We highlight risks delaying climate by rendering alternative pathways undesirable. It does so reconciling increased neutrality, economy vision economy, framing crisis an issue management. dioxide, petrochemicals, all fit mere flows The thereby helps future-proof legitimizing its carbon-intensive practises essential world order crisis.

Language: Английский

Citations

19