As the key raw material in the production of plastics and other synthetic commodities, petroleum-derived chemicals form the basis of our material existence. Industry spokespeople state that petrochemicals are ‘the future of oil’, yet debates around fossil fuels overwhelmingly focus on energy and transport, while ignoring the importance of petrochemicals. At the same time, the centre of the global petrochemical industry has shifted towards the Middle East and East Asia. A new ‘East-East’ Petrochemical Circuit (EEPC) binds together these regions, administered by large, vertically-integrated firms controlling each step of petrochemical production and consumption.

Addressing the ‘petrochemicals blindspot’ – and building upon calls to move away from techno-scientific approaches to the study of fossil fuels – this project investigates what the rapidly changing geographies of the petrochemical industry mean for a global Green Transition. I will map the new forms of corporate power emerging across the EEPC, their linkages with existing state and business elites, and the political economy drivers of the industry. The project also examines the burgeoning social and environmental movements that are resisting the entrenchment of petrochemical consumption in the Middle East and East Asia. Through tracing the interplay of these social forces, my research provides a unique contribution to debates around the Green Transition – an urgent issue closely aligned with ISRF goals.

The project forges an original, interdisciplinary dialogue across political economy, environmental studies, and materials science. Methodologically, it involves elite interviews with industry experts, ethnographic fieldwork across the two regions, and a detailed mapping of the EEPC corporate networks.