Signal Petrochemical output doubled 1990 to 2010 and could triple by 2030

Summary

The report sees reversing the rise in production as the starting point for reducing harm from novel entities. Production of these substances is currently growing faster than the population. Output of basic petrochemicals, the feedstock for many industrial chemicals and plastics, doubled between 1990 and 2010. If present trends continue, output in 2030 could exceed three times the 2010 level. Recently, however, global production has stalled because of structural overcapacity. The report reads this as a sign that production could be cut to match actual demand, and it also proposes lowering demand itself by tackling overconsumption in high-income countries.