Feasibility of wood as a renewable carbon feedstock for the production of chemicals in Europe

In transitioning to a carbon-neutral chemical industry, the intake of fossil feedstocks will have to be reduced by maximizing end-of-life product recycling and introducing alternative feedstocks based on renewable carbon. This perspective article analyses the potential of domestically grown and sourced woody biomass for the supply of renewable carbon for chemicals in Europe. The European chemical industry can become a major consumer of woody biomass in a context where burning wood for energy production is viewed as an unsustainable practice.