Organic pigments: Emissions
Why steam and solvents dominate a pigment's carbon footprint
Why steam and solvents dominate a pigment's carbon footprint 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 8.00 t CO2e per t range about 4-20 · batch fine-chemical synthesis with solvent finishing; CPC blue at the low end, multi-step high-performance pigments higher; no public product LCAs found Global emissions per year 3.20 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · 8 t x 400 kt (indicative)Per t of pigment, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: indicative (basis: typical multi-step fine chemical footprints). Global total: derived (indicative).
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 45% Production / process 50% Movement 5%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 3.5 t CO2e per t | 45% | aromatic intermediates, phthalic anhydride, copper, urea, solvents | indicative | |
| Production / process | about 4 t CO2e per t | 50% | steam and heat for synthesis, solvent treatment, drying and milling; effluent treatment | coal-based steam common in Gujarat and China (indicative) | indicative |
| Movement | about 0.4 t CO2e per t | 5% | container shipping over long distances | indicative | |
| Use | small | – | dispersion energy at ink, paint and plastics makers | pigments are used at low loadings (often 0.1-5%), so their footprint per product is small | indicative |
| End of life | small | – | stays with plastics, paint or printed paper; de-inking of paper | pigments can complicate plastics recycling by colour | indicative |
Other environmental impacts
Effluent with copper and chlorinated organics from phthalocyanine making; trace PCBs in some azo pigments; mica supply-chain labour risk for effect pigments.
Levers to cut emissions
- Clean steam and electrified drying at pigment plants
- Solvent recovery and continuous processing
- Higher-strength pigments that need lower loadings
- Bio-based intermediates (e.g. bio-based succinic for DPP) (indicative)
- Synthetic mica substrates to avoid mined mica
India
No pigment footprint is published for India; plants in Gujarat and Maharashtra mostly use fossil steam (indicative).
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-attributed or partly bio-based organic pigments | not published | not published | offered by some producers (indicative) | indicative |