Canadian chemistry
the building block of innovation

Industry Partners

About Chemistry

Canada’s chemistry sector transforms raw materials into the building blocks needed to manufacture approximately 70,000 products, from wind turbines and solar panels to vehicles and electronics. Chemistry is vital to the Canadian economy, ensuring a safe, high quality of life for all Canadians while creating some of the lowest greenhouse gas-intensive products on the planet.

Canada’s chemistry industry is highly innovative and recognized globally for its energy efficiency and carbon emissions intensity. Members of the Canadian chemistry industry have reduced the global-warming potential of their operations by two-thirds since 1992 and continually recognise the opportunity to do more.

Statistics

  • Globally, chemistry is a $6.3 trillion industry, with annual growth rates nearly double global GDP growth in each of the past 10 years
  • Canada's chemistry industry is a $77 billion industry (2024) and operates in every Canadian province
  • More than 95 per cent of all manufactured products rely on chemistry
  • The demand for chemicals is expected to triple over the next 20 years

Innovation

Efficiency has always been a core value for Canada’s chemistry sector leading to major financing of innovative technologies. This includes investing over $1 billion to transition the chemistry industry from crude-based feedstocks to natural-gas-based feedstocks, as well as scaling a biomass based succinic acid production facility to commercial scale.

The chemistry industry members put a premium on conserving and reusing resources. They look for opportunities to turn waste into raw materials and focus on products that do more with less. Companies commit to improve their manufacturing processes through Responsible Care®, the chemistry industry’s formal commitment to sustainability. Canadian chemistry has a track record of conserving resources, reducing emissions and waste, while making facilities efficient and sustainable.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

The Canadian chemistry industry sees itself as a catalyst, uniquely positioned in the value chain between raw natural resources and downstream goods-producing industries serving consumers. Industry members are highly innovative and recognized globally as best-in-class in energy efficiency and carbon emissions intensity. The industry reports that – as of 2020 and using 2005 as a base – it has reduced GHG emissions by 13 percent, sulphur dioxide emissions by 71 per cent, and the recordable incident rate by 55 per cent. Moreover, firms have drafted emergency plans to ensure communities are prepared to respond to any chemical-related incident.