The modern chemical industry stands at a crossroads. Following decades of fast-paced growth, chemicals and their derivatives are now ubiquitous in society and essential for supporting modern lifestyles, contributing over 7% of global domestic product (GDP) in 2017 . Moreover, in the future, chemicals will likely play a significant role in delivering net-zero targets (e.g., ammonia for shipping). However, the industry faces multiple planet-wide environmental dilemmas. Energy-intensive chemical production processes consumed 14% of global oil and 9% of global gas, and released 13% of global industrial direct CO2 emissions in 2020 (4, 5). More greenhouse gases (GHGs) are released in upstream and downstream of production, including fugitive methane from upstream extraction processes , CO2 from end-of-life plastics incineration , nitrous oxide (N2O) from fertilizer application , and indirect GHGs from the generation of electricity and heat . Predominantly linear value chains, agricultural inputs and expanding land-use generate further environmental impact. For example, approximately 57% of the nitrogen in fertilizers is not absorbed by plants but instead finds its way into waterways and oceans , where it is joined by an estimated 11 Mt yr -1 of plastics leaked from ineffective waste management systems .