Skip to main content

Industrial Sector

Carbon mitigation programs face several contradictions as they turn to the industrial sector. While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) points to industry as a high-carbon pollutant end-use sector, it is already efficient in some respects. This is a product of dozens if not hundreds of years of improvement in motors and heat and steam production. Industry plays a declining role in the United States in terms of energy use. Yet industrial carbon emissions reductions must mirror deep decarbonization goals that are set for other sectors in order to hold global average temperature increases within 2°C. And while there are hundreds of cost-effective energy-efficiency measures that manufacturing sub-sectors such as iron and steel and cement and lime could adopt, firms often ignore them. These challenges demand a diverse array of legal and policy responses. The chapter outlines a suite of legal pathways that must be pursued in concert to achieve massive carbon emissions reductions across key energy-intensive industries in the United States.

Sub-topics

Filter by

58 resources

Resource Private Entities

Sustainable Steel Principles

In September 2022, six top lenders to the global steel sector — Citi, Crédit Agricole CIB, ING, Societe Generale, Standard Chartered and UniCredit — announced the signing of the Sustainable STEEL Prin...
Resource Congress

Report, Build Clean: Industrial Policy for Climate and Justice

This 2020 ClimateWorks report highlights a path to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 within the industrial sector, focusing on four pillars of action. Recommended courses of action include levera...
Resource States and State Governments

Report, Enabling Industrial Decarbonization

In December 2022, the US Climate Alliance published Enabling Industrial Efficiency, a 116-page guidebook for state governments on strategies and pathways for policymakers to reduce GHG emissions from ...
Resource Congress

Industry Chapter in IPCC Fifth Assessment Report

The Industry Chapter in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report surveys options in the food processing sector, calling attention to a variety of mitigation technology options, practices, and behavioral aspec...
Resource Executive Branch

Petition to Revise Clean Air Act 111 & 112 Standards on Petro-Plastic Production

364 different NGOs cosigned a 2017 EPA petition to update New Source Performance Standards and National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants that apply to facilities that convert fossil fu...
Resource Congress

The Inflation Reduction Act

New: The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and Environmental Defense Fund are announcing the launch of an additional resource on the Inflation Reduction Act Tracker website: the IRA litigation case ...
Resource Executive Branch

DOE’s Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap

In September 2022, the Dept. of Energy released an Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap, which lays out a comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions associated with five sectors: chemical manufacturing,...
Example Executive Branch

Existing standards for petrochemical facilities

At present, petrochemical facilities are regulated under New Source Performance Standards that cover, among other things, fluid catalytic cracking units, fuel gas combustion devices, fluid coking unit...
Resource Foreign

Report, Progress and Future of Breakthrough Low-carbon Steelmaking Technology (ULCOS) of EU

Yan Junjie’s 2018 report notes the current progress and future research of steelmaking program with ultra-low CO2 emission in Europe, among which TGR-BF, HIsarna, ULCORED, ULCOWIN and ULCOLYSIS are co...
Resource Congress

Report, A Critical Minerals Policy for the United States

In June 2023, the Aspen Institute Energy & Environment Program released a comprehensive report on securing a resilient critical mineral supply chain for the United States, which is essential for a wid...
Resource Executive Branch

RMI’s Decarbonizing Industry Resources Tool

The goal of the Decarbonizing Industry Resource Tool (DIRT) is to help project developers, industrial companies, and investors discover the state and federal financial incentives that may be applicabl...
Resource Congress

Report, Opportunities for Reducing CO2 in European Industry

The Alliance for Global Sustainability published a 2012 report, Opportunities for Reducing CO2 in European Industry. The report serves as an ex-post analysis of other research studies in a series, whi...
Resource States and State Governments

NY’s Proposed Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act (2019)

New York’s proposed Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act (2019) would create a tax credit for concrete manufacturers that meet the standards to make environmental product declarations. It would...
Resource Congress

Report, Opportunities for Reducing CO2 in European Industry

The Alliance for Global Sustainability published a 2012 report, Opportunities for Reducing CO2 in European Industry. The report serves as an ex-post analysis of other research studies in a series, whi...
Resource Foreign

Report, Transitions to material efficiency in the UK steel economy

Allwood’s 2013 report, Transitions to material efficiency in the UK steel economy, apply the strategies of material efficiency to reductions in steel demand. The report notes six strategies that could...
Resource Congress

Long-Term Model-Based Projections for Energy Use and CO2 Emissions From Global Steel and Cement Industries

Van Ruijvan et al.’s 2016 report presents a global simulation-model for the steel and cement industries covering the full modelling chain from economic activity, to materials consumption, trade, techn...
Resource Foreign

Report, Exploring the Limits for CO2 Emission Abatement in the EU Power and Industry Sectors

Rootzen and Johnson’s 2014 report assessed the prospects for presently available abatement technologies to achieve significant reductions in CO2 emissions from large stationary sources of CO2 in the E...
Resource Congress

Report, State of the Global Paper Industry

Chapter 6 of the global report specifically finds a need for the North American industry to modernize and implement cleaner technologies to match mill emission levels of mills in other regions.
Resource Congress

LBNL report, Opportunities to Improve Energy Efficiency and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the US Pulp and Paper Industry

Lawrence Berkeley National Labs’ 2001 report examined over 45 commercially available state-of-the-art technologies and measures for improving energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions reductions ...
Resource Congress

Report, Technologies and policies to decarbonize global industry

Risman et al.’s 2020 research report, Technologies and policies to decarbonize global industry: Review and assessment of mitigation drivers through 2070, details the technologies and policies that can...
Resource Congress

Report, Industrial Energy Use and Carbon Emissions Reduction: A UK Perspective

Griffin et al.’s report makes a detailed analysis of energy demand in the food and drink sector, focusing on steam demand, combined heat and power, heat pumps, decomposition analysis and demand reduct...
Resource Private Entities

Report, Cold Steel Hot Climate

This report lays out the case for transitioning the steel industry (particularly Nucor, the company responsible for 29% of US steel production) towards using renewable energy in the production of stee...
Example Executive Branch

Existing Standards for Cement and Lime

EPA regulates cement and lime production and related industries through New Source Performance Standards that cover, among other things, kilms, clinker coolers, raw and rinish mill systems, raw mill d...
Resource Congress

Report, The critical role of the industrial sector in reaching long-term emission reduction, energy efficiency and renewable targets

Birgit Fais et al.’s 2016 report evaluates the critical contribution of the industry sector to long-term decarbonization, efficiency and renewable energy policy targets. Its findings for the chemical ...
Example Local Governments

Marin County’s Low Carbon Concrete Code

The Marin County, California Low Carbon Concrete Code was the first in the nation to address the negative environmental externalities of concrete when it added a mandatory low carbon concrete specific...
Example States and State Governments

New York’s Crypto Mining Moratorium

In June 2022, New York passed a crypto mining moratorium. A7389C establishes a moratorium on cryptocurrency mining operations that use proof-of-work authentication methods to validate blockchain trans...
Example Executive Branch

Existing Standards for Pulp and Paper

EPA regulates pulp and paper production through New Source Performance Standards that cover digester, brown stock washer, and evaporator systems, recovery furnaces, smelt dissolving tanks, lime kilns,...
Resource Congress

LBNL report, The Role of Emerging Technologies Improving Energy Efficiency: Examples From the Food Processing Industry

Lung et al.’s report for Lawrence Berkeley National Labs analyzes the impacts that several emerging technologies have had in the food processing industry. The analysis documents energy savings, carbon...
Resource Congress

Industry Chapter in IPCC Fifth Assessment Report

The Industry Chapter in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report surveys mitigation technology options in the cement sector, calling attention to a mix of CCS, bioenergy, and low-carbon electricity sources.
Resource Congress

Report, The Impact of Climate Targets on Steel Production

Morfeldt et al.’s 2014 paper, The Impact of Climate Targets on Steel Production – An Analysis Based on a Global Energy System Model, addresses how a global climate target may influence iron and steel ...
Resource Congress

Report, Carbon Capture for CO2 Emission Reduction in the Cement Industry in Germany

Markewitz et al.’s 2014 paper analyzed post-combustion technology for cement plants carried out on the basis of detailed model calculations. CO2 avoidance costs were reported in a range of 77 to 115 E...
Resource States and State Governments

Report, Industrial Energy Efficiency: Designing effective State Programs for the Industrial Sector

The State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network has published a 2014 guide entitled Industrial Energy Efficiency: Designing effective State Programs for the Industrial Sector, which highlights pr...
Resource Congress

Report, The critical role of the industrial sector in reaching long-term emission reduction, energy efficiency and renewable targets

Birgit Fais et al.’s 2016 report evaluates the critical contribution of the industry sector to long-term decarbonization, efficiency and renewable energy policy targets. It identifies the scale of eff...
Resource Executive Branch

White House Report, Climate and Energy Implications of Crypto-Assets in the United States

In September 2022, the White House published a report on climate and energy implications of crypto-mining in the US. The report concluded crypto-asset activity is estimated to result in approximately ...
Resource Congress

Report, Decarbonising Europeʼs energy intensive industries

Wyns and Axelson’s 2016 report focuses on innovative process technologies in emissions intensive industries that significantly improve the emission performance compared to current (state-of-the-art) t...
Example States and State Governments

California’s Cement GHG Phaseout Bill

In September 2021, California’s legislature passed the first state law directly targeting greenhouse gas emissions from the cement sector. The bill, SB 596, directs the California Air Resources Board ...
Resource Congress

Report, Reducing CO2 emissions from heavy industry

The Grantham Institute published a 2012 report, Reducing CO2 emissions from heavy industry: a review of technologies and considerations for policy makers. The report outlines the options for reducing ...
Resource Congress

Report, A review of the technologies, economics and policy instruments for decarbonising energy-intensive manufacturing industries

Napp et al.’s 2014 report seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the technologies for reducing emissions from industrial processes by collating information from a wide range of sources.
Resource Congress

IEA Cement Technology Roadmap

The International Energy Agency’s Cement Technology Roadmap highlights technological levers to lowering emissions in the cement sector.
Example States and State Governments

Southern California Boiler and Water Heater Regulation

In Southern California, a rule adopted in June 2024 targets industrial boilers and water heaters fueled by fossil gas, driving a major shift toward electric boilers and heaters. Regulators in the Sout...
Example Executive Branch

Existing Standards for Primary Metals

At present, EPA regulates iron and steel and primary metals production through New Source Performance Standards that cover, among other things, basic oxygen furnaces and electric arc furnaces at steel...
Resource Foreign

Report, Decarbonising Europeʼs energy intensive industries

Wyns and Axelson’s 2016 report focuses on innovative process technologies in emissions intensive industries that significantly improve the emission performance compared to current (state-of-the-art) t...
Resource Congress

Resources on Industrial Symbiosis

Industrial symbiosis engages traditionally separate industries that seek competitive advantage through physical exchange of materials, energy, water, and byproducts. Collaboration, synergistic connect...
Resource States and State Governments

Oregon Buy Clean Legislation

In March 2022, Oregon passed House Bill 4139, which will require state regulators to conduct life cycle assessments for select construction and maintenance materials used for public infrastructure pro...
Example Local Governments

South California’s NOx Rules for Commercial Food Ovens

In August 2023, California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District adopted a first-in-the-nation rule that aims to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from commercial food ovens in the Sou...
Resource States and State Governments

Report, Deep Decarbonization Roadmap for the Cement and Concrete Industries in California

This 2019 report offers a roadmap for decarbonization of California’s cement and concrete production, looking at the current status of cement and concrete production in California and developing scena...
Resource Private Entities

Report, Zero Carbon Manufacturing Facility

Ball et al.’s 2009 report, Zero Carbon Manufacturing Facility – towards integrating material, energy and waste process flows, explores the challenges faced when attempting to design a zero carbon manu...
Resource Congress

Report, Review of Policies and Measures for Energy Efficiency in Industry Sector

Tanaka’s 2011 paper, Review of Policies and Measures for Energy Efficiency in Industry Sector, reviews over 300 policies, encompassing about 570 measures, implemented by governments in Brazil, China, ...
Resource Congress

Industry Chapter in IPCC Fifth Assessment Report

The Industry Chapter in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report surveys options in the paper sector, calling attention to a variety of mitigation opportunities in energy, emissions, and material efficiency.
Resource Congress

Report, Clean Products Standard: A New Approach to Industrial Decarbonization

This 2020 report proposes a novel market-based standard for manufacturing, a clean products standard (CPS), which could reduce emissions from the manufacture of these GHG-intensive products. A CPS wou...
Example States and State Governments

Buy Clean Colorado Act

The Buy Clean Colorado (BCCO) Act (C.R.S. 24-92-117) applies to State public projects for which the cost exceeds five hundred thousand dollars and for which an agency of government issues a solicitati...
Example Congress

Advanced Industrial Facilities Deployment Program

As part of the Inflation Reduction Act, the $5.8 billion Advanced Industrial Facilities Deployment Program provides competitive financial support to owners and operators of energy-intensive industrial...
Example Executive Branch

ARPA-E

The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy provides funding for advanced research in the metals and petrochemical industry. The performance milestone criteria used by the APRA-E program could be a...
Resource Congress

Report, Decarbonising Europeʼs energy intensive industries

Wyns and Axelson’s 2016 report focuses on innovative process technologies in emissions intensive industries that significantly improve the emission performance compared to current (state-of-the-art) t...
Resource Executive Branch

Report, How to Decarbonize Industrial Process Heat While Building American Manufacturing Competitiveness

This ACEEE report addresses decarbonizing industrial process heat, long considered the “hard to decarbonize” sector. The report estimates that 40% of current industrial emissions can be addressed by d...
Resource Congress

Report, Energy Efficiency in the German Pulp and Paper Industry

Fleiter’s 2012 report, Energy Efficiency in the German Pulp and Paper Industry — A Model-Based Assessment of Saving Potentials, assesses 17 process technologies to improve energy efficiency in the pul...
Resource Congress

Report, Reducing CO2 emissions from heavy industry

The Grantham Institute published a 2012 report, Reducing CO2 emissions from heavy industry: a review of technologies and considerations for policy makers. The report outlines the options for reducing ...
Resource Private Entities

Report, Energy Efficiency and Industrial Competitiveness

The World Resources Institute report, Energy Efficiency and Industrial Competitiveness: The Case of Midwest Pulp and Paper Mills, offers case studies to the point that energy efficiency serves as a de...