Greening the industry

The industrial sector is both a global economic powerhouse and a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for roughly one-third of global GHG emissions. In order to further accelerate the decarbonization process, one major task remains greening the industry, especially the “hard-to-abate” sectors. Key areas of transformation are energy intensive industries such as steel, cement and basic chemicals. Challenges include the transition from conventional to advanced carbon-negative manufacturing processes and other breakthrough technologies, the provision of large amounts of renewable electricity and carbon-neutral hydrogen as well as the establishment of the necessary infrastructure, e.g. for green hydrogen and sequestered carbon dioxide. Another area is the interplay with the energy grid, where the industry sector has huge potential for flexibility through Demand-Side-Management (DSM). This session will explore potential measures aimed at “greening” industrial processes by means of energy efficiency gains, regulatory mechanisms and, where possible, direct use of renewables through greater market competitiveness and availability.