A comprehensive framework for enhancing environmental sustainability in the chemical industry

Abstract

The chemical industry, essential to economic growth and innovation, faces critical environmental sustainability challenges, notably pollution, emissions, and intensive resource use. Motivated by the need for practical tools to address these issues, this research develops a structured, comprehensive framework to assess and enhance environmental sustainability within the chemical sector. The framework employs clearly defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to emissions, resource consumption, and pollutants, providing systematic methods for their identification, measurement, benchmarking, and improvement. It was developed through a structured literature review and sectoral data analysis, followed by the formulation of benchmark construction and a tiered rating approach to assess relative performance. Benchmark values are established using competitive market data, enabling accurate performance comparisons. The framework's effectiveness and practicality are demonstrated through two illustrative case studies, a detailed process-level analysis (steam cracking) and an indicator-level analysis (NOx emissions), which highlight clear opportunities for improvement. This study contributes a scalable, actionable approach that enables chemical companies to achieve measurable sustainability improvements, align with regulatory requirements, and strategically advance their environmental performance.