Plasma processing can be one of the drivers of low-carbon footprint chemical manufacturing using renewable electricity. Several established commercial processes already rely on this technology in different production sectors, such as metallurgy, waste-to-energy, olefin production, and ozone production. Emerging plasma applications such as activation of stable small molecules (e.g. CO2, CH4, and N2) can greatly outperform their thermo(catalytic) counterparts at mild operating conditions and low CO2 emissions. Nonetheless, a series of scientific and technical hurdles must be overcome to scale-up plasma processes without compromising energy efficiency and economics, thus enabling widespread implementation of plasma technology at industrial level.