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Early action to achieve low emissions after 2040: SATW contributes to international CAETS study

Energy and environment Further topics 13:28

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On 30 June 2026, CAETS, the international umbrella organisation for engineering academies, published the study ‘Towards Low-GHG Emissions from Energy Use in Selected Sectors: Looking Beyond 2040’. In it, 52 experts from 24 countries outline what needs to be done today to ensure that capital-intensive industrial sectors emit significantly fewer greenhouse gases after 2040. SATW supported the study – represented by Rita Hofmann, who was a member of the Chemical Industry Working Group.

Translated by an automated translation plugin.

Key findings

  • The course is being set now: in sectors with long investment cycles, such as chemicals, cement and steel, the investments made over the next few years will determine whether low-emission technologies will be widely available after 2040.
  • Six strategies for all sectors: The most striking finding of the study is that, across all seven sectors examined, the same six ‘robust strategies’ apply – ranging from education and skilled labour, through innovation-friendly framework conditions and electrification, to the use of artificial intelligence.
  • The chemical industry is both key and a challenge: it emits around 1.5 gigatonnesof CO₂ per year – roughly five per cent of global energy-related emissions – whilst also supplying the materials needed for the energy transition and sustainable products.
  • Plastics recycling has great potential: the recycling rate for packaging plastics currently stands at only around 16 per cent. The study calls for recyclable product design, fewer types of plastic and improved chemical recycling processes.
  • When it comes to cement, clinker is the key factor: it accounts for only 10 to 15 per cent of the mass of concrete, but is responsible for almost 95 per cent of its grey energy. New cement formulations are therefore the most effective lever for change.

The study builds on an earlier CAETS report with a shorter time horizon and deliberately looks beyond the year 2040. As the future of the sectors under investigation cannot be predicted with certainty, the project team worked with scenarios and derived strategies from them that would be viable under as many conditions as possible. Seven sectors were examined: forestry, agriculture and food, oil and gas, chemicals, cement, iron and steel, and buildings and smart cities – supplemented by chapters on hydrogen, CO₂ capture and storage, and cross-sectoral integration.

Swiss expertise in the chemical and cement industries

Rita Hofmann represented SATW in the international project. In the chemical industry working group, she developed scenarios and strategies for a sector facing far-reaching transformation: Among other things, the study focuses on ammonia and hydrogen as key energy carriers, on the electrification of chemical processes such as crackers, on new catalysts and separation processes – and on investment in young talent and further training to ensure that the skilled workforce required for this transformation is actually available.

As an internal reviewer, Rita Hofmann also examined the chapter on the cement industry, which demonstrates how new cement compositions and optimised concrete mixes can reduce emissions from the world’s most widely used building material.

The study clearly shows that the course for the period after 2040 is being set today – in Switzerland too.

Rita Hofmann, member of SATW

What the study means for Switzerland

The SATW – like numerous other CAETS member academies – has reviewed and officially endorsed the study. The study is not intended as a one-size-fits-all solution: each country should adapt the findings to its own circumstances. The findings are particularly relevant for Switzerland, where the study highlights the country’s strengths: a significant chemical and pharmaceutical industry, domestic cement production, and universities that train the next generation of skilled professionals.

The work continues: the CAETS Energy Community has already launched a follow-up project on energy security, led by the Indian Academy of Engineering (INAE). The question of how artificial intelligence can provide further insights into industrial characteristics and strategies is also to be explored in greater depth.

About CAETS and the study

CAETS (short for: International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences) is the international umbrella organisation for academies of engineering and technological sciences. CAETS is a global organisation in which emerging economies from Africa and Asia, as well as almost all major economies, are represented. It brings together leading experts to develop solutions to global challenges. SATW is a member of CAETS.

The study ‘Towards Low-GHG Emissions from Energy Use in Selected Sectors: Looking Beyond 2040’ was produced by the CAETS Energy Community. Fifty-two experts from 24 countries contributed to it, supported by 16 external reviewers.

Download the study

Contributors

Role Title + Name
Text by Claude Naville
Expertise Rita Hofmann-Sievert