Industrial Decarbonization......

 Industrial sector greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have steadily increased since the industrial revolution and nearly tripled over the last three decades. U.S. industries account for 30% (including industrial electricity use) of national GHG emissions, on par with transportation, the highest emitting sector, and exceed power sector emissions. Globally, the industrial sector accounts for all GHG emissions. Heavy industries, like chemical production, cement and steel production and oil and gas refining should no longer be dismissed as too ‘hard to abate.’ Options for transitioning these manufacturing processes are rapidly emerging and becoming more cost competitive due to historic public investments in the U.S. 

Transitioning this sector away from fossil fuels by midcentury is possible — if companies, governments, investors and communities work together to make sound and bold decisions in this decade that will be crucial to defining our decarbonization trajectory to meet mid century climate goals. Demand is expected to rise for cement, steel and chemicals in coming years. Options for decarbonizing those facilities and products include switching to non-fossil fuels and feedstocks, energy efficiency, electrification and carbon capture utilization and sequestration as well as transformative emerging technologies such as electrolytic hydrogen, thermal heat batteries, kiln electrification and novel materials. On the other hand, oil and gas demand will be dropping over the next few decades as the world moves to phase out fossil fuels and facilities may simply become non-economic as this transition occurs and the demand for fossil fuels dwindles and disappears. Deciding the fate of these facilities — whether they are retired or repurposed — is an opportunity to consider overall pollution profiles (including air toxics, chemical discharges and pollutants that cause smog and soot) and engage with fence line communities around these facilities to decide what is the best way to make a just transition away from carbon intensive industry. The path toward industrial decarbonizationby midcentury requires comprehensive company strategies and a robust portfolio of federal and state policies to support innovation, investment and deployment.......read on        https://www.wri.org/initiatives/industrial-decarbonization