Chemicals · Projected milestone
Circular chemical industry
Estimated year~2050
5% by 2055 · including earlier years
The year is an editorial timing estimate. The percentage applies to occurrence by the stated deadline. These estimates are not calibrated odds.
Nearly all chemicals are made from recycled carbon and captured CO2.
Explore this milestone on the interactive mapWhat the forecast means
Milestone stage: milestone (legacy definition)
Completion criteria: Legacy milestone: refine the observable threshold before resolving.
This page describes a forecast, rather than an achieved result. Read the methodology and assumptions.
Built on
- Gas fermentationRecorded · 2018enables
- Fuels from captured CO2Recorded · 2021enables
- Chemical plastic recyclingRecorded · 2024enables
- Electrified chemical plantsRecorded · 2024enables
- Gigawatt green ammonia exportsForecast · ~2027enables
- Enzymatic plastic recycling plantsForecast · ~2028enables
- Electric steam crackersForecast · ~2030enables
- Microbes make bulk chemicalsForecast · ~2042enables
Led to
- Zero-waste circular logisticsForecast · ~2055enables
- Carbon-negative clothingForecast · ~2062enables
- Urban miningForecast · ~2063enables
- Wood-based plasticsForecast · ~2063enables
- Offshore seaweed refineriesForecast · ~2064enables
- Plastic packaging goneForecast · ~2070enables
- CO2 as main feedstockForecast · ~2076enables
Sources & evidence
No individual source links are recorded for this milestone. Source coverage and review status vary across the atlas.
Dataset updated 2026-10-18. This individual record has not been separately re-reviewed.