Vinyl chloride monomer: Emissions

Why coal-carbide VCM emits 6-10 t of CO2e a tonne

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 1.4-1.8 on the ethylene route; about 6-10 on the coal-carbide route · global average weighted about 70% ethylene route and 30% carbide route Global emissions per year 165 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · 3.5 t x about 47 Mt

Per t of VCM, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: indicative (basis: Plastics Europe PVC eco-profile about 2 t CO2e per t PVC; Chinese carbide-route LCA literature). Global total: derived (indicative).

Share of footprint by lifecycle phase

Feedstock 63% Production / process 32% Movement 5%

Footprint by lifecycle phase

Phase	Intensity	Share	Main sources of emissions	Notes	Source
Feedstock	about 2.2 t CO2e per t	63%	ethylene cracking, chlorine electricity, and on the carbide route coal-fired carbide furnaces	carbide makes most of the carbide-route footprint	indicative
Production / process	about 1.1 t CO2e per t	32%	fuel for EDC cracking furnaces, incineration of chlorinated residues, acetylene generation	EDC cracking alone is about 0.3 t CO2 per t VCM (indicative)	indicative
Movement	about 0.2 t CO2e per t	5%	gas carriers and EDC tankers	small	indicative
Use	not applicable	–	VCM is polymerised	residual VCM in PVC is limited to ppm	indicative
End of life	not applicable to VCM; PVC incineration releases about 1.4 t CO2 per t PVC plus HCl	–	fate of PVC	PVC is recyclable mechanically (VinylPlus in Europe); landfilling is common	stoichiometry (indicative)

Other environmental impacts

Mercury use and emissions from the carbide route; carbide slag; VCM is a carcinogen; dioxins from incinerating chlorinated residues and PVC.

Levers to cut emissions

Shift China's carbide capacity to ethylene or mercury-free catalysts
Low-carbon chlorine via renewable power
Electric or hydrogen-fired EDC cracking furnaces (indicative)
PVC recycling to cut virgin demand

India

India's VCM and PVC imports from China carry the carbide-route footprint; domestic ethylene-based capacity (Reliance) is lower-carbon (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
Ethylene route with renewable-powered chlor-alkali and bio-attributed ethylene	below 1 t CO2e per t (indicative)	not published	bio-attributed PVC sold by Inovyn and others in Europe (indicative)	indicative

For a climate investor The largest climate lever in this chain is China's coal-carbide PVC, which is beyond an Indian fund's reach. In India, the opportunity is new ethylene-based PVC capacity powered by renewables, PVC pipe recycling and import substitution. What has to be true: lasting trade protection or a carbon border price that values lower-carbon PVC.