Plastics are overwhelmingly fossil-based, with approximately 99% of plastics derived from fossil fuels. ~20% of plastic emissions are tied to upstream feedstock extraction/mining
~70% of emissions are tied to the energy-intense production process, which requires high temperatures. Polymer cracking is the most energy-intense stage, with >30% of emissions coming from this production stage
See CKI's Plastics deep-dive to explore how to abate plastic's emissions — by first reducing demand, then decarbonizing residual production.
