# Fatty acids: Emissions

Why the plantation's soil matters more than the factory

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

Why the plantation's soil matters more than the factory 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 3.50 t CO2e per t range about 2-4.5 from palm oil on mineral soils with mill methane capture; above 8-15 for oil from recently drained peat; tallow and tall oil lower (indicative) · indicative, built from palm oil footprints (about 2-4 t CO2e per t on mineral soils; 7.3 global mean including land-use change) plus about 0.3-0.5 t for splitting and distillation Global emissions per year 41.0 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · 3.5 t/t x 11.7 Mt (indicative)

Per t of fatty acids, cradle-to-gate, mass allocation with glycerine. Intensity: palm_oil tile (Poore & Nemecek 2018; Alcock et al. 2022); Shah et al. 2016 via surfactants tile (indicative). Global total: derived (indicative).

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 85% Production / process 12% Movement 3%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 3.0 t CO2e/t | 85% | palm cultivation, land-use change, mill effluent methane, fertiliser | dominant; deforestation-free and methane-capture oil cuts it sharply | palm_oil tile (indicative) |
| **Production / process** | about 0.4 t CO2e/t | 12% | steam for splitting and distillation (often coal or gas boilers) | biomass boilers on palm shells are common in Indonesia (indicative) | indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.1 t CO2e/t | 3% | shipping from South-East Asia |  | indicative |
| **Use** | not applicable | – |  | most uses are non-emissive; soaps go down the drain | not applicable |
| **End of life** | biogenic carbon | – | biodegradation in wastewater, incineration with plastics or tyres | carbon released is biogenic, unlike petro-based equivalents | indicative |

#### Other environmental impacts

Deforestation and peatland loss linked to palm expansion, biodiversity and labour issues; wastewater from splitting; nickel catalyst residues from hydrogenation.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Deforestation-free and RSPO-certified oil
- Methane capture at palm oil mills
- Biomass or electric boilers for splitting and distillation
- Tallow, tall oil and waste fats as feed

#### India

India's fatty acid footprint is mostly embedded in imported palm and palm kernel oil; no Indian life-cycle data were found.
 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Fatty acids from certified oil on existing cropland with mill methane capture** | can approach about 2 t CO2e/t or lower (indicative) | certification premiums (indicative) | offered by major palm groups under mass balance (indicative) | indicative |

 For a climate investor The climate lever is upstream: traceable, deforestation-free palm and methane capture at mills. In India the opportunity is specialty derivatives (esters, MCT, cosmetic grades) for export, where VVF and Godrej compete, and fatty acids from domestic oil palm in the longer run. What has to be true: secure certified feedstock and buyers paying for traceability.

## Other sections

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