Carbon emissions and decarbonisation: the role and relevance of fermentation industry in chemical sector

Fermentation industry is emerging as sustainable technological alternative to cater the production of various chemical building blocks which are commercially manufactured by petrochemical route. The primary reason for this major transition is global commitment towards decarbonisation of chemical sector, as their conventional fossil-based routes pose serious environmental threat. For instance, in 2022, the direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emission during synthesis of primary chemicals accounted for ∼ 920 Mt. CO2 is one of the prominent greenhouse gases (GHG’s), contributing majorly towards global warming effect and drastic climate change. Fermentation industry largely thrives on exploiting fermentable and organic carbon derived from edible and/or non-edible biomass and transforming them to valorised products using microbial cell factories. Therefore, the production of bio-based chemicals via this route is often associated with low or zero-carbon footprint, resulting in either carbon neutral or carbon negative products. This review focuses on different types of fermentative processes and their impact on carbon release and decarbonisation. It further discusses the relevance and contribution of fermentation industry as well as biological processes to provide a sustainable solution towards decarbonisation of chemical sector. Further, it showcases the advantages of some commercial proven and/or pipeline bio-based products over their conventional competitor fossil-based products, especially from an environmental viewpoint. Finally, advantages of biogenic CO2 from fermentation industry over other sources and CO2 removal from fermentation as a platform for carbon offsetting are covered.