Editor's Note
This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “Sustainability: The Mega-Challenge Awaiting the “, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
Entrepreneur & Politics
The basic industry is the front end of the manufacturing industry. It transforms raw materials into semi-finished products such as steel, stone, glass, and various chemical (synthetic) materials. This part of the business sector must also become more sustainable. The major problem is: how do you achieve that on such a scale? It may not be widely known, but the basic industry is important for the Netherlands. The sector contributes 120,000 jobs to employment (2017). And in 2017, it achieved approximately 17 billion euros in turnover.
Basic Industry Good for Export
And the Dutch basic industry is an important international player. For instance, the Netherlands produces relatively many basic products compared to other countries. This is evident, for example, from the fact that in the steel, chemical, and refinery sectors, about three-quarters of production is destined for export: – 75 percent of iron and steel is intended for export
– 85 percent of ethylene produced in the Netherlands is intended for export – and 89 percent of the fertilizer made here is intended for export But the basic industry is also a branch of industry where the sustainability challenge is extremely large.
Sustainability is Complex for the Basic Industry
Not everything has a sustainable solution yet. What to do with indispensable chemicals that produce CO2 during combustion? And the energy-intensive industry may want to switch to green hydrogen, but far from enough is currently being produced.
Source: Read the original article | Published: November 10, 2021