Energy
The chemical sector consumes approximately 20% of total industrial energy consumption in the U.S., and contributes in similar proportions to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Given the reliance on fossil fuel resources and the associated greenhouse gas emissions, there is a clear indication that, at a minimum, the chemical enterprise should strive to be as energy efficient as possible, normalizing to chemical function rather than mass in the assessment. Gain in efficiency can be realized by considering both the quantity and quality of energy inputs as well as waste energy utilization. Of course, the chemical sector has a significant role to play in changing the nature of our energy feedstocks towards ones that are renewable, and developing materials that can enhance energy generation, storage, and transmission to enable the use of these renewable energy sources.