GLCC

GLCC is sometimes used as shorthand for low-carbon chemicals, a way of describing the broad effort to reduce the chemical industry's carbon footprint across the production, distribution and use of chemical substances. It is important to be clear about what it is and is not: GLCC is not a formally established standard, certification or single named organisation. It is a label for an objective shared by companies, associations and policymakers, namely decarbonising one of the most energy and emissions intensive industrial sectors.

Why the chemical sector matters for climate

The chemical industry is both a major energy consumer and a producer of materials used by almost every other sector, so its emissions have a large indirect footprint. A significant share of its impact sits in Scope 3 emissions, including upstream feedstocks and downstream use of products. Reducing these emissions is essential both to meet climate commitments and to keep the sector competitive as carbon is increasingly priced and regulated.

Levers for low-carbon chemicals

• Emission reduction: deploying technologies that limit greenhouse gas releases during manufacturing and transport, quantified with recognised methods such as the GHG Protocol.
• Energy efficiency: optimising consumption through cleaner processes, renewable energy and recovery of waste heat (see energy efficiency).
• Feedstock substitution: replacing fossil inputs with bio-based, recycled or captured-carbon feedstocks where technically and economically viable.
• Circularity: applying circular economy principles so that chemical products and by-products are reused, recycled or recovered rather than lost.

Challenges and opportunities

The main barriers are the high capital cost of retrofitting plants and infrastructure, and the need to build demand for lower-carbon products along the supply chain. The opportunities lie in collaboration: low-emission industrial clusters, chemicals derived from biomass, and the conversion of captured CO2 into useful substances can accelerate decarbonization while creating green jobs.

Real initiatives and reference bodies

Several genuine organisations work on emissions in this sector. The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) promotes guidelines and best practices, the Global Impact Coalition (relaunched in 2023 from a World Economic Forum initiative) brings major chemical companies together to develop low-carbon technologies, and the Global Framework on Chemicals adopted under UNEP in 2023 sets international targets for the sound management of chemicals and waste. These are the concrete references to consult, rather than treating GLCC as a formal scheme in itself.

At Manglai we help industrial and chemical companies measure their carbon footprint, identify reduction levers and prepare their sustainability reporting. Discover how Manglai can help you.