Enzymes for consumer products to achieve climate neutrality

Abstract

Today, the cheosphere’s and biosphere’s compositions of the planet are changing faster than experienced during the past thousand years. CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion are rising dramatically, including those from processing, manufacturing and consuming everyday products; this rate of greenhouse gas emission (36.2 Giga-tons accumulated in 2022) is raising global temperatures and destabilizing the climate, which is one of the most influential forces on our planet. As our world warms up, our climate will enter a period of constant turbulence, affecting more than 85% of our ecosystems, including the delicate web of life on these systems and impacting socioeconomic networks. How do we deal with the green transition to minimize climate change and its impacts while we are facing these new realities? One of the solutions is to use renewable natural resources. Indeed, nature itself, through the working parts of its living systems, the enzymes, can significantly contribute to achieve climate neutrality and good ecological/biodiversity status. Annually they can help decreasing CO2 emissions by 1 to 2.5 Billion-tons, carbon demand by about 200 Million-tons, and chemical demand by about 90 Million-tons. With current climate change goals, we review the consequences of climate change at multiple scales and how enzymes can counteract or mitigate them. We then focus on how they mobilize sustainable and greener innovations in consumer products that have a high contribution to global carbon emissions. Finally, key innovations and challenges to be solved at the enzyme and product levels are discussed. LAY SUMMARY Accumulated greenhouse gas emissions are expected to increase from 36.2 Giga-tons (Gt) to 60 Gt over the next three decades. The global surface temperature has increased by + 1.09 °C since 2001, and might increase by + 2.2 °C in 2100, +3.6 °C in 2200 and +4.6 °C in 2500. These emissions and temperature rises cannot be reduced in their entirety, but they can be lowered by using enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions that make life possible since 3.8 billion years ago. Scientists have been able to "domesticate" them in such a way that enzymes, and their engineered variants, are now key players of the circular economy. With a world production of 117 Kilo-tons and a trade of 14.5 Billion-dollars, they have the potential to annually decrease CO2 emissions by 1 to 2.5 Billion-tons (Bt), the carbon demand to synthesise chemicals by 200 Million tons (Mt), the amount of chemicals by 90 Mt, and the economic losses derived from global warming by 0.5%, while promoting biodiversity and our planet’s health. Our success to increase these benefits will depend on better integration of enzymatic solutions in different sectors.

Effects of Climate Change and Global Warming on Enzymes

“…Enzymes play a vital role in mitigating the effects of climate change through various mechanisms. Enzyme engineering is being researched for its potential to utilise carbon dioxide, converting it into valuable compounds that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions Enzymes used in consumer products have the potential to contribute to achieving climate neutrality also known as carbon neutrality, with the goal of significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 (Molina-Espeja et al, 2023). Carbon neutrality refers to the condition whereby there is balance between the level where carbon dioxide is absorbed and released back into the atmosphere to achieve net-zero concentration of carbon dioxide.…”

Industrial enzyme production in Bangladesh: current landscape, scope, and challenges

“…This can occur during the manufacturing, use, or disposal of enzymes by conserving resources, lowering global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, encouraging energy-efficient operations and the use of renewable energy, eliminating harmful agents, reducing waste, and conserving water. Hence, it can be argued that the utilization of enzyme-derived products holds the promise of yielding positive outcomes for both the natural ecosystem and the overall well-being of individuals (Molina-Espeja et al, 2023). The main producers of enzymes are animals, microbes, and plants.…”