Gitnux/Report 2026

Carbon Industry Statistics

The global carbon industry mobilized more than $107 billion in carbon-pricing revenue in 2025, explore the figures behind company capacity, technology shifts, and ETS coverage in 2026.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Carbon Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The carbon industry at a glance

The global carbon industry is scaling through policy and emissions trading: carbon pricing mobilized more than $107 billion in public revenue in 2025, while fossil CO₂ emissions are projected at 38.2 billion tonnes in 2026.

$107B+[100]
Carbon-pricing revenue, 2025
38.2 Gt[101]
Fossil CO₂ emissions, 2026
29%+[100]
Emissions covered by pricing, 2026
41[102]
ETSs in force, 2026
Market size
Carbon-pricing systems mobilized more than $107 billion for public budgets in 2025. The World Bank counted 87 direct carbon-pricing policies globally in 2026, including emissions trading systems and carbon taxes.[100]
Market share & regions
Emissions trading systems covered 26% of global greenhouse-gas emissions in 2026 across jurisdictions representing 63% of global GDP and more than half of the world’s population. Carbon pricing covered just over 29% of global emissions overall, with all large middle-income economies either implementing or planning direct pricing instruments.[102][100]
Segmentation
The industry is segmented into compliance markets—carbon taxes and emissions trading systems—and carbon-crediting markets. Within emissions trading, 41 systems were in force in 2026, while seven more were under development and nine jurisdictions were considering an ETS.[102][100]
Key players & concentration
Carbon-market activity is institutionally concentrated among large national and subnational schemes, including China, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea and California. China accounted for 32% of global fossil CO₂ emissions in 2026, while the United States accounted for 13% and India for 8%.[101][102]
Pricing
The average direct carbon price was nearly $21 per tonne of CO₂ equivalent in 2026, having doubled over the previous decade. Carbon-credit prices declined slightly across 2025, although aviation-eligible and highly rated forest-conservation and reforestation credits retained premiums.[100]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Clean-energy deployment is becoming the main structural driver: solar, wind and electric vehicles avoided an estimated 4.1 billion tonnes of CO₂ emissions in 2025 and are projected to avoid 4.6 billion tonnes in 2026. However, global fossil CO₂ emissions are projected to fall only 0.4% in 2026, while coal emissions rise 0.6%, showing that demand growth, energy security and uneven policy remain major challenges.[101]
Regulation
Direct carbon pricing covered just over 29% of global greenhouse-gas emissions in 2026, with 87 policies in operation globally. Emissions trading is expanding into maritime transport, buildings, transport fuels and waste, while China is broadening its national ETS beyond power to steel, cement and aluminum.[100][102]
Latest news
The Global Carbon Project’s 2026 budget, published on November 10, 2026, projects fossil CO₂ emissions of 38.2 billion tonnes, down 0.4% from 2025. Total CO₂ emissions, including land-use change, are projected to reach 43.3 billion tonnes because land-use emissions are expected to rise.[101]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Carbon Industry

The leading companies in the carbon industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Birla Carbon stands out for global carbon black and carbon nanotube provisioning because it operates 19 manufacturing plants across 14 countries and supplies carbon black globally, while Toray Industries focuses on carbon-fiber composite materials since it reports a world-leading business serving aerospace and industrial markets with an operating margin of 3.8% in 2025.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in carbon black

    Birla Carbon

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.4 · Carbon black

    Why we picked it: Operators use it for carbon black and carbon nanotubes, with global capacity tied to 19 plants across 14 countries.

    See in ranking ↓Visit birlacarbon.com ↗

  2. Leader in carbon fibers

    Toray Industries

    JP

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Carbon fibers

    Why we picked it: Its carbon-fiber composite materials business serves aerospace and industrial markets while maintaining 2.9% R&D intensity in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit toray.com ↗

  3. Leader in graphite electrodes

    Resonac Holdings

    JP

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Graphite electrodes

    Why we picked it: Its graphite business unit focuses on graphite electrodes for global supply, with 2024 emissions reported by its sites.

    See in ranking ↓Visit resonac.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the carbon industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Birla Carbon

Carbon black · US

9.4
2

Toray Industries

Carbon fibers · JP

9.1
3

Resonac Holdings

Graphite electrodes · JP

8.9
4

Mersen

Carbon insulation · FR

8.8
5

Hexcel

Carbon fibers · US

8.7
6

Kuraray

Activated carbon and water-treatment carbon systems · JP

8.5
7

Cabot

Carbon black, conductive carbons and specialty materials · US

8.2
8

Orion Engineered Carbons

Rubber, specialty and conductive carbon black · LU

7.9
9

SGL Carbon

Specialty graphite, carbon fibers and composites · DE

7.7
10

Toyo Tanso

Advanced graphite and carbon materials · JP

7.7

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the carbon industry. In Carbon Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/carbon-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Carbon dioxide emissions from energy

Carbon dioxide emissions from energy grew from 34,055 million tonnes CO2 in 2018 to 35,129.8 million tonnes CO2 in 2023.

34.1K
Start
+0.62%
CAGR · 5y
35.1K
Projected
20182023
source-verifiedenergyinst.org2023

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Direct air capture, AI adoption, and carbon-credit demand show up as measurable adoption signals, including 36,000 tonnes of CO2 per year peak capture capacity for Climeworks’ Mammoth in Iceland.

AI in the carbon industry

  • 36,000 tonnes of CO2 per year is the peak capture capacity of Climeworks’ Mammoth direct-air-capture facility in Iceland.[1]
  • 160 customers, including Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, Stripe, Shopify and Lego, bought carbon credits from Climeworks, according to a 2025 company profile.[1]
  • 500,000 tonnes of CO2 removal were secured by United Airlines from Heirloom in 2025, linking an airline customer to a direct-air-capture company.[2]
  • 68.4 million carbon-credit purchases were reported in 2025, up 181% from 24.4 million in 2024, in data cited by Ceezer for AI-related corporate demand.[3]

Digital Transformation in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 46% ranked automation among their leading technology focus areas in 2025.[4]
  • Across European chemical subindustries, 65% of companies viewed digitalization as an opportunity that would significantly impact their activities in 2024.[5]
  • Among EII businesses, 68% reported adopting AI in 2024, with an estimated 10% productivity increase.[5]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 57% identified moving to SAP S/4HANA as a top focus area in 2025.[4]

Technology Adoption in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for quality inspection or defect detection in 2025.[6]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 45% had implemented AI for supply-chain optimization in 2025.[6]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 53% had implemented AI for real-time process control and optimization in 2025.[6]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for production planning and scheduling in 2025.[6]

Cloud Computing in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, more than 35% had at least partially migrated to cloud computing in 2023.[7]
  • Among EII businesses, 52% reported increased productivity from cloud computing in 2024, while 46% reported no change.[5]
  • Among EII businesses, 2% reported decreased productivity from cloud computing in 2024.[5]
  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, 15% planned to migrate to cloud computing in coming years in 2023.[7]

Big Data in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EII businesses, 48% reported increased productivity from big data in 2024.[5]
  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported no productivity change from big data in 2024.[5]
  • Among EII businesses, 6% reported decreased productivity from big data in 2024.[5]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 49% cited gaining actionable insights from data and analytics as a current challenge in 2025.[4]

Blockchain in the carbon industry

  • $7.8 was the average voluntary carbon-market price per tCO2e in 2022, an 82% increase from 2021.[8]
  • 254 MtCO2e was the voluntary carbon-market transaction volume in 2022.[8]
  • 10.83% of KlimaDAO’s tokenized credits had been bridged by Moss Earth as of July 2024.[9]
  • $21.2 million was the secondary-market trading turnover for tokenized carbon credits during 2021–2022.[10]
  • $1.98 billion was the voluntary carbon-market value in 2022.[8]
  • $6.5 was the average voluntary carbon-market price per tCO2e in 2023.[8]

IoT in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across 23 European countries, close to one-third of manufacturing firms used IoT in 2021.[11]
  • Across European countries, 29% of firms used IoT on average in 2021.[11]
  • Among EII businesses, 56% reported no productivity change from IoT in 2024.[5]
  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported increased productivity from IoT in 2024.[5]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Organizations still rely heavily on spreadsheets and general BI tools, even as dedicated carbon-management tools reach 24% of surveyed companies in 2024.

Business intelligence in the carbon industry

  • 37% of firms used dedicated software for supply-chain regulatory compliance in 2024, globally.[12]
  • 45% of firms used spreadsheets or in-house software for ESG and sustainability reporting in 2024, globally.[12]
  • 33% of firms used commercial software for facility-level emissions data acquisition in 2024, globally.[12]
  • 76% of large-company emissions programs rely on spreadsheets, general business-intelligence tools, EHS platforms or DIY tools in 2024, across North America and Europe.[13]
  • 24% of surveyed companies used tools specifically designed for emissions management in 2024, across North America and Europe.[13]
  • 63% of organizations identified the lack of a dedicated carbon-management tool as a key challenge in 2022, across 900 organizations with net-zero targets.[14]

Data analytics in the carbon industry

  • 40% of UK companies used artificial intelligence in carbon management in 2026.[15]
  • 6.90% of organizations had real-time data with automated processes for carbon and ESG reporting in 2023, globally.[16]
  • 24.7% of companies planned to adopt artificial intelligence for carbon management soon in 2026, across 62 countries.[15]
  • 32.76% of organizations identified access to relevant and accurate Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions data as a decarbonization challenge in 2023, globally.[16]
  • 22.9% of companies already used artificial intelligence in carbon management in 2026, across 62 countries.[15]
  • 11.4% of French companies used artificial intelligence in carbon management in 2026.[15]

Data Quality in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of supply-management organizations rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024, based on an Institute for Supply Management survey.[17]
  • 80% of manufacturers reported a measured value for their operational data in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[18]
  • 89% of manufacturers said data use improved their decision-making processes in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[18]
  • 67% of supply-management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[17]
  • 42% of manufacturers had a process to verify manufacturing-data accuracy and quality in 2026, while 51% did not.[18]
  • 44% of companies in the manufacturing survey reported AI-project failures caused by poor data quality in 2025, across surveyed manufacturers.[19]

Data Governance in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • 28% of manufacturers had a data-governance leader in 2026, across the Manufacturing Leadership Council survey.[18]
  • 52% of global chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[20]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[17]
  • 67% of GCC chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[20]
  • 46% of GCC chemical companies had established common data standards with collaboration partners in 2022.[20]
  • 90% of supply-management organizations agreed or strongly agreed that data governance was necessary in 2024.[17]

KPIs in the carbon industry

  • 63.7% of French companies had their carbon-footprint results checked by a third party in 2026.[15]
  • 77.5% of companies identified Scope 3 data as an obstacle to carbon measurement in 2026, across 62 countries.[15]
  • 66.7% of companies with more than 5,000 employees had a formal emissions-reduction transition plan in 2026.[15]
  • 42.4% of UK companies had their carbon-footprint results checked by a third party in 2026.[15]
  • 67.7% of companies had completed at least one corporate carbon-footprint assessment in 2026, across 62 countries.[15]
  • 41.9% of companies had a formal transition plan to reduce emissions in 2026, across 62 countries.[15]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Offtake agreements drive tracked activity, with $12.3 billion in 2025 representing 56% of tracked global activity, while carbon-removal pipeline deals scale into multi-year contracting.

Growth in the carbon industry

  • $22.0 billion of tracked carbon-market activity in 2025 was more than five times the 2021 level.[21]
  • $12.3 billion of carbon-market activity came from offtake agreements in 2025, representing 56% of tracked activity worldwide.[21]
  • Nine early-stage carbon-removal companies received Frontier prepurchase agreements in 2024 to support progression from laboratory development to field deployment.[22]
  • $47 million was the average tracked carbon-market deal size in 2025, up from approximately $23 million in 2024.[21]
  • Approximately 75% of Frontier’s carbon-removal offtake companies began as prepurchase recipients, according to its 2024 annual update.[22]
  • 50% of attributed carbon-credit retirements in 2023 were accounted for by 26 companies.[11]

Differentiation in the carbon industry

  • 650 landowner clients participated in GreenTrees’ Mississippi Alluvial Valley reforestation program in 2026.[23]
  • Four distinct carbon-removal pathways were represented by Frontier’s seven 2024 offtake companies.[22]
  • 1.5 million tonnes of verified carbon-removal credits will be purchased by Microsoft from India’s Panna afforestation project over 30 years.[23]
  • 36,000 tonnes of CO2 per year is the stated capture capacity of Climeworks’ Mammoth direct-air-capture facility in Iceland.[24]
  • 450,000 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent will be purchased by JPMorganChase from CO280’s U.S. pulp-and-paper carbon-removal project over 13 years.[23]
  • 1.24 million tonnes of verified carbon dioxide removal were contracted by Microsoft from Bolivia’s Exomad Green over a decade.[23]

Mergers and acquisitions in the carbon industry

  • 50% was TotalEnergies’ interest in the Coastal Bend carbon-storage project obtained through the Talos Low Carbon Solutions acquisition.[25]
  • A majority stake in Puro.earth was acquired by Nasdaq in 2021 to expand its environmental, social and governance product strategy.[26]
  • Two U.S. carbon-storage project acquisitions were announced by Storegga in March 2025.[27]
  • 5 million tonnes of CO2 per year is the 2030 target for the Malaysia CCS hub linked to Storegga’s acquisition-led expansion strategy.[27]
  • 100% of Carbon Engineering’s outstanding equity was agreed to be acquired by Occidental through a wholly owned subsidiary.[28]
  • 65% was TotalEnergies’ operated interest in the Harvest Bend carbon-storage project obtained through the Talos Low Carbon Solutions acquisition.[25]

Strategic partnerships in the carbon industry

  • 5 million tonnes of CO2 per year is the 2030 capacity target for Storegga’s CCS partnership with PETRONAS and XRG in Malaysia.[27]
  • 1 million tonnes of carbon removal are targeted by UNDO through its enhanced-rock-weathering deployment strategy by 2025.[29]
  • $1.25 million was the value of BluSky Carbon’s agreement with SQUAKE for carbon-removal credits and related services.[29]
  • 152,000 tonnes of CO2 removal were contracted by Frontier from Vaulted Deep between 2024 and 2027.[29]
  • 450,000 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent were covered by the CO280–JPMorganChase carbon-removal offtake agreement over 13 years.[23]
  • 1.5 million tonnes of carbon-removal credits were covered by the Microsoft, Climate Impact Partners and Terra Natural Capital collaboration in India.[23]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Deployment planning is tied to staffing ranges, with 71,400–107,100 average annual jobs estimated over five years for a subset of U.S. coal plants.

Hiring in the carbon industry

  • 71,400–107,100 average annual jobs would be needed over five years to deploy carbon capture on a subset of existing U.S. coal plants.[30]
  • At least 3,000 additional jobs could arise from investment in equipment manufacturing, construction and engineering for a one-million-ton-per-year direct-air-capture plant.[30]
  • 116,200–174,300 average annual jobs would be needed for a larger U.S. coal-plant carbon-capture retrofit scenario with no retirement date.[30]
  • 124 new jobs are expected from Birla Carbon’s first South Carolina operation in Orangeburg County, United States.[31]
  • 22 employees made up Charm Industrial’s Colorado workforce in 2023, which the company planned to at least double by the end of 2024.[2]

Employee retention in the carbon industry

  • 2,752 male employee departures were reported in 2024 by the carbon-capture company covered in the responsibility report, compared with 3,009 in 2023.[32]
  • 3,330 employee departures were reported in 2024 by the carbon-capture company covered in the responsibility report, compared with 3,628 in 2023.[32]
  • 2,951 male employees were newly hired in 2024 by the carbon-capture company covered in the responsibility report, compared with 2,504 in 2023.[32]
  • 578 female employee departures were reported in 2024 by the carbon-capture company covered in the responsibility report, compared with 619 in 2023.[32]
  • 3,601 new hires were reported in 2024 by the carbon-capture company covered in the responsibility report, compared with 3,040 in 2023.[32]

Remote Work in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 25% preferred mostly remote work in 2025.[33]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 25% worked exclusively remotely in August 2026.[34]
  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 8% preferred fully remote work in 2025.[33]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 5.7% of positions were fully remote in 2024.[35]

Hybrid Work in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • U.S. hybrid employees spent an average of 46% of their workweek on-site in 2026.[34]
  • Across U.S. hybrid employees, 48% said their team had not discussed a formal or informal collaboration plan in 2026.[34]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 61% preferred a hybrid work arrangement in November 2025.[34]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked in a hybrid arrangement in August 2026.[34]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 44.5% of positions were fully hybrid in 2024.[35]

Upskilling in the carbon industry

  • 18% of STMicroelectronics jobs were filled internally in 2023, indicating internal mobility across its workforce.[36]
  • 76 average training hours were recorded for STMicroelectronics operators in 2023.[36]
  • 49 average training hours per employee were recorded at STMicroelectronics in 2023.[36]
  • 2,532 SGL Carbon administrative employees completed global human-rights training by the end of 2024.[37]
  • 50,611 employees received training in 2023 at STMicroelectronics, a company with carbon-related semiconductor and materials operations.[36]

Employee Engagement in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across employees in the United States and Canada, 31% were engaged at work in 2025.[34]
  • Across employees in the United States, 32% were engaged at work in 2025.[34]
  • Across employees worldwide, 20% were engaged at work in 2025.[34]
  • Among global managers, 22% were engaged at work in 2025, compared with 19% of non-managers.[34]
  • Across best-practice organizations recognized by Gallup, 70% of employees were engaged in 2025.[34]

DEI in the carbon industry

  • 57% of temporary employees were women in 2024 at the carbon-related company reporting this sustainability data.[38]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Corporate and retail carbon-credit demand shows strong engagement rates, including 90% of current corporate carbon-credit buyers reporting credits delivered against their organization’s aims during the previous year.

Customer experience in the carbon industry

  • 41 out of 50 was the 2022 customer-satisfaction score for Hyosung Advanced Materials’ carbon-fiber business among surveyed global customers.[39]
  • 35 was Birla Carbon’s stated target minimum for its business-to-business customer Net Promoter Score.[40]
  • 3 areas—quality and pricing, delivery, and customer service—were used in Hyosung Advanced Materials’ 2023 carbon-fiber customer-satisfaction survey.[39]
  • 42 out of 50 was the 2023 customer-satisfaction score for Hyosung Advanced Materials’ carbon-fiber business among surveyed global customers.[39]

Customer retention in the carbon industry

  • 22 activated-carbon customers were reported for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, by the operating entities of China Nonferrous Mining Resources Group’s relevant filing.[41]
  • 23 activated-carbon customers were reported for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, by the relevant operating entities.[41]
  • 3 years of fiscal customer counts—2023, 2024, and 2025—were disclosed for the activated-carbon operating entities.[41]
  • 35 activated-carbon customers were reported for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, by the relevant operating entities.[41]
  • 88% of engaged Canadian buyers had previously purchased carbon credits, including durable carbon dioxide removal credits.[42]

Customer acquisition in the carbon industry

  • 9 organizations were named as participants in Frontier’s multi-year CarbonCapture offtake agreement arranged for corporate buyers.[43]
  • 5 sectors—ethanol, steel, cement, power, and related industrial markets—were identified as target customer groups for a carbon-capture startup’s commercial development.[2]
  • 35% of surveyed carbon-credit buyers reported customer acquisition as a business benefit associated with carbon-credit purchases.[44]
  • 160-plus customers used Climeworks’ direct-air-capture technology, including JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Stripe, Shopify, and Lego, as reported in 2024.[1]

Customer loyalty in the carbon industry

  • 90% of current corporate carbon-credit buyers said credits had delivered against their organization’s aims during the previous year.[44]
  • 81% of surveyed corporate buyers called carbon credits important or critical to achieving their climate goals.[44]
  • 18,000-plus individuals had subscribed to Climeworks’ carbon-dioxide-removal service by February 2023.[45]
  • 88% of engaged Canadian carbon-removal buyers were repeat buyers that had already purchased durable carbon-dioxide-removal credits.[42]

Lead generation in the carbon industry

  • 60% of durable-carbon-removal buyers preferred purchasing directly from suppliers, according to CDR.fyi’s market-outlook survey.[46]
  • 83% of durable-carbon-removal purchasers said accelerating development of the industry was a motivation for buying.[46]
  • 27 organizations purchased or planned to purchase durable carbon-dioxide-removal credits in CDR.fyi’s 2024 market-outlook survey.[46]
  • 93% of surveyed corporate carbon-credit buyers reported that their company had a carbon-credit strategy in place.[47]
  • 80% of durable-carbon-removal purchasers budgeted more than $100 per tonne for credits in 2024.[46]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Environmental-label trust and carbon-credit claim behavior remain measurable, with 58% of respondents in 2023 trusting brands more when they carry a recognizable environmental label across 11 countries.

Marketing in the carbon industry

  • 73% of surveyed consumers said they would be prepared to pay more for products or services from companies with good environmental credentials and a real net-zero commitment in 2023, globally.[48]
  • 51% of surveyed companies reported making claims about purchasing and retiring carbon credits in 2023, based on 99 respondents.[49]
  • 37% of U.S. respondents said in 2020 that they would pay at least a 10% premium for carbon-neutral products.[50]
  • 58% of respondents in 2023 said they trusted brands more when they carried a recognizable environmental label, across 11 countries.[51]
  • 62% of surveyed companies said claims about purchasing and retiring carbon credits were valuable to their brand in 2023, based on 79 respondents.[49]

Digital marketing in the carbon industry

  • 60 days was the time taken for Carbon Clean’s online campaigns to generate the first millions of dollars in pipeline.[52]
  • 10 original and curated articles formed the core blog series used to position Panther Fluids as a CCUS thought leader in 2025.[53]
  • 715 tweets had been posted by the 4C project’s Twitter account from its January 2020 launch through November 2023.[54]
  • 162% was the year-over-year increase in leads generated for Carbon Clean after its carbon-capture marketing program.[52]
  • 196% was the increase in average page-view time achieved by Panther Fluids after its CCUS content campaign in 2025.[53]

Branding in the carbon industry

  • 92% of respondents in Change Climate’s research perceived products with a carbon-neutral label as more sustainable, healthy and higher quality.[55]
  • 93% of Gen Z consumers surveyed in 2023 said they were likely to be loyal to a climate-friendly brand.[48]
  • 79% of consumers aged over 55 said in 2023 that they were more loyal to brands demonstrating commitment to tackling climate change.[48]
  • 86% of German consumers surveyed in 2022 believed only products produced in a climate-friendly way should carry a carbon-neutral label.[56]
  • 85% of U.S. respondents said in 2020 that brands should reduce their carbon footprint.[50]

Social media in the carbon industry

  • 11% of categorized carbon-dioxide-removal Twitter users were firms, according to the study’s random sample of 300 users.[57]
  • 13% of categorized carbon-dioxide-removal Twitter users were nongovernmental organizations.[57]
  • 17% of moderate carbon-dioxide-removal Twitter users had private accounts, compared with 20% of infrequent users and 13% of frequent users.[57]
  • 86% of My Zero Carbon survey respondents followed the organization on only one social-media platform in 2024.[58]
  • 13% of frequent carbon-dioxide-removal Twitter users were private accounts, according to the study’s user-group classification.[57]

Influencer Marketing in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across B2B companies, 43% of marketers reported outstanding results from influencer programs in the 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Report.[59]
  • Across B2B companies, 81% of marketers had a dedicated influencer-marketing budget in a September 2024 U.S. survey of firms with at least 100 employees.[60]
  • Across B2B companies, 29% of marketers planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in a March 2025 Ipsos survey.[61]
  • Across B2B companies, 55% of marketers used creators in 2025, based on a March 2025 Ipsos survey of 1,500 marketing professionals.[61]
  • Across B2B companies, 56% of marketers identified social-media posts as the most effective influencer-program content type in a September 2024 U.S. survey.[60]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational intensity and safety metrics sit alongside supplier and customer data obligations, including Cabot’s 0.12 MWh per metric ton electricity intensity for carbon-black production in 2022.

Process optimization in the carbon industry

  • 170,000 tons per year was the combined carbon-black output of Cabot’s three Shanghai production units.[62]
  • 0.12 MWh per metric ton was Cabot’s electricity intensity for carbon-black production in 2022.[62]
  • 2.09 metric tons of CO2e per metric ton of product was Cabot’s direct-emissions intensity for carbon black in 2022.[62]
  • 5,648 kWp was Haycarb’s renewable-energy generation capacity after additional solar investment in 2024/25.[63]
  • 88,000 GJ of annualized energy savings were achieved in 2025 through operational improvements, digital optimization and heat-recovery projects at four Cabot carbon-black sites in China.[62]

Operational efficiency in the carbon industry

  • 1 lost-time injury was recorded by Orion in 2025.[64]
  • 0.06 cases per 200,000 worked hours was Orion’s days-away-from-work rate in 2025.[64]
  • 879,040 metric tons of carbon black were produced by Orion in 2025.[64]
  • 0.18 cases per 200,000 worked hours was Orion’s total recordable incident rate in 2025.[64]
  • 7% was Orion’s normalized Scope 1 intensity reduction versus its 2014 baseline in 2025.[64]

Quality management in the carbon industry

  • 100% of Orion employees received compliance training in 2025.[64]
  • 99% of Orion suppliers had signed the company’s Supplier Code of Conduct in 2025.[64]
  • 100% of Orion’s procurement team received training on sustainability-purchasing risk identification and management in 2025.[64]
  • 14 new activated-carbon products were introduced by Haycarb in 2025/26.[63]
  • 100% of Orion’s customer safety-data-sheet provision target was achieved in 2025.[64]

Supply chain in the carbon industry

  • 99% of Orion suppliers had signed the Supplier Code of Conduct in 2024.[64]
  • 964,678 metric tons of Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services were reported by Orion in 2025.[64]
  • 1,010,940 metric tons of Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services were reported by Orion in 2024.[64]
  • 31,545 metric tons of Scope 3 emissions from capital goods were reported by Orion in 2024.[64]
  • 30,709 metric tons of Scope 3 emissions from capital goods were reported by Orion in 2025.[64]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 100% of customer respondents allocated only 0–25% of company capital expenditure to reshoring projects in 2025.[65]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 72.8% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing moved business functions to other EU countries during 2021–2023.[66]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents were actively pushing onshoring projects in 2025.[65]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 34.1% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing cited labour-cost reduction as a motivation during 2021–2023.[66]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents actively drove onshoring projects with suppliers but reported no success in 2025.[65]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Carbon-fiber and carbon-capture economics appear as specific price and cost figures, including a reported German carbon-fiber price of 39 US dollars per kilogram in June 2026.

Pricing strategy in the carbon industry

  • RMB 90.10 per kilogram was the average Chinese carbon-fiber price in 2024, down 23.85% from 2023.[67]
  • 39 US dollars per kilogram was the reported German carbon-fiber price in June 2026.[68]
  • 14.1 US dollars per kilogram was the reported Chinese carbon-fiber price in the second quarter of 2026, up 1.4% from the first quarter.[69]
  • €30–€35 per kilogram is the industrial-scale reference price assumed for virgin carbon fiber in a recycled-carbon-fiber economic assessment.[70]
  • €5–€15 per kilogram is the typical price range for recycled carbon fiber, substantially below virgin carbon fiber.[70]

Cost reduction in the carbon industry

  • 30% is the maximum increase in direct-air-capture costs found when system integration is neglected in a 2026 European analysis.[71]
  • €14.1 million was SGL Carbon’s 2024 write-down of fixed assets and inventories related to discontinued carbon and battery activities.[37]
  • $129 per tonne was the total representative cost in a 2024 carbon-capture case including financing, operating, gas, electricity, pipeline and sequestration costs.[72]
  • $30 per tonne was the combined pipe-and-sequestration cost in a 2024 representative carbon-capture cost case.[72]
  • $12.24 per tonne was the electricity cost in a 2024 representative carbon-capture cost case based on 0.15 megawatt-hours per tonne.[72]

Profitability in the carbon industry

  • $168 million was Orion’s 2024 annual operating cash generation.[64]
  • 16.1% was Orion’s approximate 2024 adjusted EBITDA margin calculated from reported adjusted EBITDA of $302 million and revenue of $1,878 million.[64]
  • -5.2% was SGL Carbon Carbon Fibers’ adjusted EBITDA margin in 2024, compared with 3.2% in 2023.[37]
  • €1,878 million was Orion’s 2024 annual revenue from specialty and rubber carbon-black operations.[64]
  • €80.3 million was SGL Carbon’s consolidated net loss in 2024, compared with a €41.0 million net profit in 2023.[37]

Financial planning in the carbon industry

  • 5.55% was the interest rate at the end of 2024 used in an analysis of private capital for carbon-capture projects.[73]
  • $50.80 per tonne was the annual financing cost in the representative 2024 carbon-capture plant case.[72]
  • $58 per tonne of carbon dioxide was the maximum reported gap by which capture-and-storage costs exceed the value of the US 45Q tax credit for some industrial and power applications.[73]
  • $100 per tonne of carbon dioxide was the target price in Google’s 2024 agreement with Holocene for direct-air-capture removals.[2]
  • $400–$600 per annual tonne was the estimated 2024 capital-cost range across multiple new carbon-capture applications.[72]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

CCUS capacity planning is expressed in project capture rates and contracted volumes, including 36 ktCO2 per year planned capacity for the Stratos direct-air-capture project in Texas.

Product development in the carbon industry

  • 60% of researchers’ time was devoted to new-product development at Hexcel’s innovation center, including new carbon fibers planned for 2024, in the United States in 2023.[74]
  • Approximately 45% of United States 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act carbon-capture funding had been allocated or made available by February 2024.[75]
  • 620 MtCO2 per year of global carbon-storage capacity could be reached by 2030 if announced projects are developed on schedule.[75]
  • USD 660 million was expected to be invested in direct-air-capture projects in 2024, 140% more than in 2023.[75]
  • 3 MtCO2 of annual direct-air-capture capacity could be deployed by 2030 if all planned projects proceeded.[75]

Product lifecycle in the carbon industry

  • Six million tonnes of CO2 removal were covered by advanced offtake agreements signed in 2024.[75]
  • Eight new CCUS projects began operating worldwide in 2024.[75]
  • 500 ktCO2 per year is the planned capacity of the Stratos direct-air-capture project in Texas.[75]
  • 36 ktCO2 per year is the capture capacity of the Mammoth direct-air-capture plant in Iceland, which started operating in May 2024.[75]
  • 2.1 MtCO2 per year was the initial capacity of Qatar’s Ras Laffan Carbon Hub when it was commissioned in 2019.[75]

After-sales in the carbon industry

  • 27.8% of surveyed companies paid no more than 3,000 yuan per tonne for activated carbon in China in 2023.[76]
  • 27.8% of surveyed companies paid 3,000–6,000 yuan per tonne for activated carbon in China in 2023.[76]
  • 5.6% of surveyed companies paid at least 10,000 yuan per tonne for activated carbon in China in 2023.[76]
  • 40.0% of surveyed companies replaced activated carbon every six months in China in 2023.[76]
  • 4.4% of surveyed companies both purchased and replaced activated carbon through a third party in China in 2023.[76]

Value proposition in the carbon industry

  • Carbon-fiber demand is forecast to grow at approximately 10% annually from 2024 to 2030.[77]
  • 8% of global carbon-fiber consumption was used in wind blades in 2023.[78]
  • 48% of global carbon-fiber consumption was used in aerospace in 2023.[78]
  • Approximately 45% of worldwide carbon-fiber capacity was located in China in 2024.[77]
  • 14% of global carbon-fiber consumption was used in sports and leisure in 2023.[78]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Supplier and site-level water and emissions reporting remain concrete, including 100% of Birla Carbon manufacturing sites using recycled process water and/or harvested rainwater in 2026 globally.

Sustainability in the carbon industry

  • 100% of Graphite Capital portfolio companies had appointed a sustainability officer in 2024.[79]
  • 12% of Graphite Capital’s portfolio companies increased their renewable-energy use in 2024 compared with the prior year.[79]
  • 74% of global carbon black consumption was used in tires, according to Smithers’ sustainability analysis.[80]
  • 100% of Birla Carbon manufacturing sites used recycled process water and/or harvested rainwater in 2026 globally.[81]
  • 22% of activated-carbon consumption was used for air and gas purification worldwide in 2023.[82]

ESG in the carbon industry

  • 1.97 metric tonnes CO2e per metric tonne of graphite was GrafTech’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity in 2024.[83]
  • 221,857 metric tonnes CO2e were GrafTech’s combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2024.[83]
  • 2 graphite companies were assessed as industry-leading for ESG practices in Benchmark’s 2023 analysis.[84]
  • More than one-third of electricity consumption came from on-site renewable generation at graphite pathways identified by Tesla in 2024.[85]
  • 12% of a main graphite supplier’s required electricity could be produced by photovoltaic cells under Tesla’s 2024 supply-chain plan.[85]

Ethics in the carbon industry

  • Warning systems and flood-area signage were developed by Tesla graphite suppliers for tailings-storage-facility risks in 2024.[85]
  • 4 graphite mines and refineries were visited by Tesla to investigate environmental and social supply-chain risks in 2024.[85]
  • Affected communities and their vulnerabilities were mapped by Tesla graphite suppliers in 2024.[85]
  • Standalone employee grievance procedures were strengthened by Tesla graphite suppliers in 2024.[85]
  • 100% of Graphite Capital portfolio companies had appointed a sustainability officer in 2024, supporting formal accountability for nonfinancial conduct.[79]

CSR in the carbon industry

  • 4 graphite mines and refineries were visited by Tesla in 2024 as part of responsible-sourcing engagement.[85]
  • 100% of Graphite Capital portfolio companies had appointed sustainability officers in 2024.[79]
  • 3 graphite-facility decarbonization plans were assessed by Tesla in 2024.[85]
  • 4 community-protection actions were identified for Tesla graphite suppliers in 2024: mapping communities, assessing vulnerabilities, installing warnings and adding flood signage.[85]
  • 100% of GrafTech’s reported 2024 corruption-incidence metric was zero, with no confirmed incidents recorded.[83]

Circular economy in the carbon industry

  • 149 kilotonnes of secondary graphite supply and reuse were recorded by the IEA for 2021 under its stated scenario baseline.[75]
  • 27% of nonhazardous granular activated carbon was disposed of in landfills.[86]
  • 220,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions could be eliminated annually at full capacity by the Birla Carbon circular-carbon-black project compared with conventional carbon black.[81]
  • 66% of nonhazardous granular activated carbon was sent for reactivation, according to the USDA’s 2024 technical review.[86]
  • 1,333 kilotonnes of secondary graphite supply and reuse were projected by the IEA for 2030 under its stated scenario.[75]

Carbon footprint in the carbon industry

  • 9.5 kg CO2e per kg of granular activated carbon was the reported global-warming potential for coal-based carbon.[86]
  • 25,683 tonnes CO2e were Resonac’s reported 2024 emissions at its Steeg site.[87]
  • 9.2 kg CO2e per kg of granular activated carbon was the reported global-warming potential for bark-based carbon.[86]
  • 200,660 tonnes CO2e were Resonac’s reported 2024 emissions at its Ridgeville site.[87]
  • 7.6 kg CO2e per kg of granular activated carbon was the reported global-warming potential for coconut-based carbon.[86]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Capacity and customer footprint are tracked alongside geographic sales mix, including 29 production sites operated across Europe, North America and Asia at SGL Carbon at the end of 2024.

Globalization in the carbon industry

  • 300 million pounds of carbon fiber demand was recorded globally in 2024, valued at approximately US$3.5 billion.[77]
  • 56,800 tonnes per year was Haycarb’s global manufacturing capacity in 2023/24.[63]
  • 29 production sites operated across Europe, North America and Asia at SGL Carbon at the end of 2024.[98]
  • 16% was Haycarb’s global market share in coconut-shell activated carbon in 2024/25.[63]
  • 10.07% was the average annual growth rate of global carbon-fiber demand from 2010 to 2024.[99]

Supplier management in the carbon industry

  • 2,084 employees worked at Haycarb at 31 March 2026.[63]
  • 7 marketing subsidiaries supported Haycarb’s international activated-carbon business in 2024/25.[63]
  • At least 18 months of supply-chain disruption was expected to affect the global carbon-fiber industry after 2024.[77]
  • €134.2 million was SGL Carbon’s sales revenue in China, including Hong Kong, in 2024.[98]
  • 2,000-plus people worked for Haycarb in 2024/25 across its activated-carbon operations.[63]

Stakeholder management in the carbon industry

  • Rs. 41.7 billion was Haycarb’s activated-carbon revenue in 2024/25.[63]
  • 16 new activated-carbon products were launched by Haycarb in 2024/25.[63]
  • 1,500-plus products were included in Haycarb’s product portfolio in 2024/25.[63]
  • 105,000 people benefited from Haycarb’s corporate-social-responsibility programs in 2023/24.[63]
  • 90% was Haycarb’s customer-satisfaction score in 2023/24.[63]

Distribution channels in the carbon industry

  • 27.2% was Asia’s share of SGL Carbon’s total sales revenue in 2024.[98]
  • €208.6 million, or 20.3% of SGL Carbon’s sales, came from Europe excluding Germany in 2024.[98]
  • €134.2 million, or 13.1% of SGL Carbon’s sales, came from China including Hong Kong in 2024.[98]
  • 25.7% was Germany’s share of SGL Carbon’s total sales revenue in 2024.[98]
  • €48.4 million, or 4.7% of SGL Carbon’s sales, came from the rest of the world in 2024.[98]

Key questions about the carbon industry

How big is the carbon-pricing market in 2025?
Carbon-pricing systems mobilized more than $107 billion for public budgets in 2025, according to the World Bank.
What does 2026 coverage look like for carbon pricing and ETSs?
In 2026, carbon pricing covered just over 29% of global emissions overall, and 41 ETSs were in force.
Which companies lead the carbon industry?
Birla Carbon stands out for global carbon black and carbon nanotube provisioning because it operates 19 manufacturing plants across 14 countries and supplies carbon black globally, while Toray Industries focuses on carbon-fiber composite materials since it reports a world-leading business serving aerospace and industrial markets with an operating margin of 3.8% in 2025.
How is technology changing in carbon-focused operations?
Automation and AI adoption show up across industrial carbon work, including 24.7% planning AI for carbon management soon in 2026 and 22.9% already using AI in carbon management in 2026.
How is the carbon market structured across instruments?
The industry is segmented into compliance markets—carbon taxes and emissions trading systems—and carbon-crediting markets, with ETS expanding into sectors beyond power.
Why are data and measurement requirements a recurring operational issue?
Scope 3 data is a key obstacle: 77.5% of companies identified Scope 3 data as an obstacle to carbon measurement in 2026.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Carbon Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/carbon-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Carbon Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/carbon-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Carbon Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/carbon-industry-statistics.

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