Industrial

The industrial sector includes a wide range of activities, including all facilities and equipment used to produce, process and assemble goods - including: manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and construction. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are produced through various processes, including the combustion of fossil fuels for heat and power, the non-energy use of fossil fuels, and several industrial processes, and direct emissions from the industrial sector account for 19 percent of total U.S. emissions. The industrial sector is a large consumer of centrally generated electricity (25 percent of total U.S. electricity sales), and when electric power sector GHG emissions are assigned to end-use sectors that consume the electricity, the industrial sector accounts for 27 percent of total U.S. emissions.

There is a diverse portfolio of options for mitigating GHG emissions from the industrial sector, including energy efficiency, fuel switching, combined heat and power, renewable energy sources, and the more efficient use and recycling of materials. 

At C2ES we work on several issues related to climate change and the industrial sector, including emissions reduction policy, energy efficiency, and adaptation. We track and inform policymakers about pragmatic policy options at the state, federal, and international level, collaborate on white papers and reports, blog about current issues impacting the industrial sector, and keep up-to-date online resources on innovative technologies.

Tracking Policy - We keep track of state, federal, and international policy that will impact the industrial sector. Our state maps have information about which states have adopted various GHG mitigation policies. We also track and analyze federal policy, including what is happening in Congress and the Executive Branch.

Research - At C2ES, we produce research, including reports, white papers, and briefs, on issues related to climate change and industry. C2ES's Corporate Energy Efficiency Project is a multi-year research and communications effort to identify and highlight the most effective methods used by companies, including many industrial firms, to reduce their energy consumption and lower their related GHG emissions. Other examples of relevant C2ES work include The Competitiveness Impacts of Climate Change Mitigation Policies and Adaption to Climate Change: A Business Approach.

Climate Compass Blog - Our blog includes entries about current perspectives on GHG emissions from Industry, and can be viewed here.

Climate Techbook - The industrial section of the Climate Techbook includes an overview of GHG emissions from the industrial sector as well as technologies that can be used to reduce those emissions. Below is a list of the Techbook factsheets that pertain to the industrial sector.

Recommended Resources

Alliance to Save Energy

• Industry
• Review of GHG Policies, Programs, Initiatives, and Energy Efficiency Opportunities for U.S. Industry

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

• Industrial Sector

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

• IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 (AR4)
• IPCC Technical Paper: Industrial Sector

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

• Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Industrial Technologies Program

U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

• Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions in U.S. Manufacturing, 2006
• Industry Analysis Briefs
• Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• ENERGY STAR - Inustries in Focus
• 2011 US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
• Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Key Industrial Sectors in the United States Working Draft
• Sector Performance Report, 2008

Related Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC) Companies