Viscose fibre: Emissions
Coal-fired steam drives most of the 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 3.40 t CO2e per t range -0.25 to 3.8 · indicative global average (basis: about 90% of output from Asian plants at 3.8 t CO2e/t and about 10% from integrated European plants near zero); Shen and Patel (2010) give 3.8 for viscose in Asia, -0.25 for an integrated Austrian viscose plant with biomass energy credits, and 0.05 for lyocell Global emissions per year 23.0 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · 3.4 t CO2e/t x 6.7 Mt (indicative)Per t of viscose staple fibre, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: Shen and Patel 2010 via Felgueiras et al. 2021 (Frontiers in Bioengineering, Table 3); weighting indicative. Global total: derived.
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 35% Production / process 62% Movement 3%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 1.2 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 35% | Dissolving pulp (about 0.5 t, lower with biomass-powered mills), caustic soda (about 0.5 t), CS2 and acid | Land-use change emissions from sourcing in high-risk forests are not included | caustic soda tile; indicative |
| Production / process | about 2.1 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 62% | Coal-fired steam and power for evaporation, xanthation and recovery in Asian plants (energy about 106 GJ/t in Asia versus 70 GJ/t in Austria) | The Austrian plant's negative value comes from biomass energy and co-product credits | Felgueiras et al. 2021; indicative |
| Movement | about 0.1 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 3% | Pulp and fibre shipping | indicative | |
| Use | not counted in cradle-to-gate | – | Garment washing | Shed fibres biodegrade, unlike polyester | n/a |
| End of life | biogenic carbon; about 1.6 t CO2 per t if burned (biogenic, not counted as fossil) | – | Landfill can emit methane as cellulose decays | Textile-to-pulp recycling was 1.1% of MMCF in 2024 | stoichiometry (44% carbon); Textile Exchange 2025 |
Other environmental impacts
CS2 and H2S air emissions and worker health risks; zinc and sulphate in effluent; forest and biodiversity risk from pulp sourcing (Canopy estimates hundreds of millions of trees a year go into fabric, indicative); water use of 319-445 m3/t versus 5,730 m3/t for cotton (Felgueiras et al. 2021).
Levers to cut emissions
- Switch Asian plants from coal to biomass or renewable steam and power
- CS2 and H2S recovery to EU BAT and ZDHC levels
- Shift from viscose to closed-loop lyocell (0.05 t CO2e per t in the Austrian case)
- Certified and plantation pulp, and textile-waste pulp
- Integrated pulp mills that export bioenergy
India
Indian viscose is on the Asian, coal-heavy end of the footprint range. Grasim ranked joint first in Canopy's 2024 Hot Button report, which covers forest sourcing, not carbon. Grasim's lyocell expansion at Harihar is the main shift to the closed-loop route.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyocell (NMMO closed loop) | about 0.05 t CO2e per t (integrated Austrian plant, Shen and Patel 2010) | Lenzing's average price $2.27/kg versus generic CSF about $1.64/kg (indicative comparison) | Lenzing, Birla Cellulose (43 kt/yr rising to 153 kt/yr), and fast-growing Chinese generic capacity | Felgueiras et al. 2021; Grasim; Lenzing |
| Recycled cellulose pulp from textile waste | not published | not published | 1.1% of MMCF (90 kt) in 2024; Circulose restarted after Renewcell's 2024 bankruptcy (indicative) | Textile Exchange 2025; indicative |