WPC Executive Conference

Petrochemical Markets of Today and Tomorrow: Spot and Contract from Oil to Plastics 

What does the background volatility mean for chemical sector markets today and tomorrow - what strategies can be employed for pricing, inventory management, value chains and manufacturing to steer a steady path? Where does the biggest demand arise and where are the new production centres based on feedstocks - gas and liquid? What are the new points of reference? 

Collective commitments towards energy transition 

In the run up to COP27, 69% of the chemical industry’s largest players have already committed to net-zero targets by 2050. Sitting at the intersection of the three most greenhouse gas emitting sectors – transportation, energy and industrial – the chemical industry is in a unique position to be a key enabler of energy transition. The next step is to add granularity to roadmaps. 

Geopolitical Uncertainty 

Geopolitical uncertainty and commodities volatility have dominated the macroeconomic environment in 2022. China’s zero-COVID policy, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, inflation, soaring energy prices and slackening demand have clouded growth predictions. How will instability impact industry in 2023 and shape progress towards energy transition? 

From Linearity to Circularity 

A circular economy is essential for societal concerns, and for global decarbonization. Increased demand for critical metals amid tight supply has already boosted prices and current production will be challenged to meet energy transition requirements. Shifting towards a circular production model can help alleviate pressures while enabling net-zero goals. 

A new wave of policy proposals, including taxes and waste import restrictions, will also play a significant role in encouraging the move towards a circular economy by driving up investments in key infrastructure and in product design. 

The chemical industry’s central role in providing tomorrow’s innovative materials for the transition places it at forefront of growth. 

Financing Energy Transition

Voluntary carbon markets are set for double-digit growth by 2030 while green bonds represent a USD 1.5 trillion market, signalling strong commitment to net-zero pledges. Leveraging the role of financial instruments is key to allowing companies to access much-needed funding for decarbonization roadmaps and to ensure an affordable, accelerated and just transition. 

Innovation & Digitalization – Scaling-up energy transition 

Energy transition presents significant strategic decision-making challenges for today's business leaders. A comprehensive view of new technologies and their scale-up potential is key to understand how to best leverage them to enable the chemical industry to meet its aspirational decarbonization goals. Digitalization has become fundamental to companies’ strategies and is a major growth driver of efficiency and sustainability, boosting innovation and solving supply-chain issues. However, it simultaneously heightened the need for increased cybersecurity. 

Supply Chains – Scarcity, Constraints and Resilience 

Supply-chain disruptions are expected to persist in the near future threatening continued growth in the chemical industry. Port congestion and rail constraints continue to compound pressure on trucking while backlogs remain hard to tackle. The distribution network lacks resilience to adapt to changing market demand.