Report warns plastic production emissions could consume one-fifth of Earth’s carbon budget

A report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has highlighted that plastic production emissions worldwide could represent one-fifth of the Earth’s remaining carbon budget. During 2019, the emissions from plastic manufacturing matched those from 600 coal-fired power plants. Predictions suggest that by 2050, emissions from this industry could peak at 6.78 gigatonnes. Experts, including Heather McTeer Toney of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Neil Tangri of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, are advocating significant reductions in plastic production. With global negotiations on plastics approaching, these findings underline the need for sustainable manufacturing practices.

In another environmental concern, California has been identified as the primary source of increasing sulfuryl fluoride emissions, contributing 85% of the total emissions in the U.S. This greenhouse gas, used extensively in the state’s $4.2 billion pest-control industry, has a global warming potential 7,500 times greater than CO2 and can remain in the atmosphere for around 40 years. Regulatory attempts to phase out its use were rejected by state regulators in 2023, despite its environmental and potential health impacts. Environmental groups are now urging California and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take decisive action, suggesting that addressing this issue could significantly aid in achieving the state’s climate goals.