# Benzene: Emissions

Factory carbon, plus more if it is ever burnt

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 1.86 t CO2e per t range 1.4-2.5 (indicative, basis: route and allocation) · cradle-to-gate, Europe, data year 2009 Global emissions per year 102 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · 1.86 t CO2e/t x 55 Mt (indicative)

Per t of benzene, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: Plastics Europe Public LCI Database via Climatiq. Global total: derived.

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 38% Production / process 57% Movement 5%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 0.7 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 38% | Crude extraction, transport and refining allocated to naphtha | Higher for flared or heavy crudes | indicative split of Plastics Europe total |
| **Production / process** | about 1.0 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 57% | Reformer and cracker furnaces, extraction steam | Allocation among co-products is the main source of variance | indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.05-0.1 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 5% | Tanker shipping, typically Korea to China | Small | indicative |
| **Use** | not applicable | – | Benzene is an intermediate | Benzene left in gasoline is burnt | n/a |
| **End of life** | up to 3.38 t CO2 per t of benzene carbon if burnt | – | Fate of derivatives (polystyrene, nylon, PU) | Benzene is 92.3% carbon by mass; derivatives are mostly landfilled or incinerated | stoichiometry |

#### Other environmental impacts

Carcinogenic exposure risk for workers and communities near refineries; fugitive VOC emissions; groundwater contamination from fuel leaks.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Electrifying reformer and cracker furnaces
- Capturing CO2 from refinery hydrogen and furnaces
- Heat integration in extraction units
- Chemical recycling of polystyrene back to styrene, displacing benzene demand
- Bio-aromatics from lignin or biomass pyrolysis

#### India

India's benzene comes from refinery complexes (Reliance, IOCL, MRPL, BPCL); no product-specific footprint has been published. Refinery decarbonisation targets of the oil companies cover it indirectly.
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

#### Low-carbon routes

| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Bio-aromatics from biomass catalytic fast pyrolysis** | not published | not published | pilot scale (e.g. Anellotech, indicative) | indicative |
| **Methanol-to-aromatics using low-carbon methanol** | depends on methanol source | not published | demonstration units in China (indicative) | indicative |

 For a climate investor Benzene is a co-product, so decarbonisation follows refinery and cracker abatement rather than a dedicated route. The investable angles are recycling of benzene derivatives (polystyrene depolymerisation, nylon recycling) and furnace electrification at integrated sites. Bio-aromatics remain pre-commercial.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/benzene/links/index.md)