Transforming Industries: Unlocking Net Zero Pathways in Hard-to-Abate Industries

The industrial sector accounts for a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissions, with steel, cement, and aluminum being among the most carbon-intensive industries. For India, industrial decarbonization has emerged as a critical challenge and opportunity as the country makes progress towards its climate goals, including achieving net zero by 2070. To this end, WRI India in collaboration with the Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST), Cambridge Econometric and the University of Exeter is hosting a roundtable under the Chatham House Rule. Discussions in the various sessions of the roundtable will work towards exploring practical, scalable, and economically viable strategies for decarbonizing the steel, cement, and aluminum industries.

Key themes of discussion at the roundtable include:

1. Policy and Regulatory Frameworks:

• Aligning industrial policies with decarbonization goals.
• Incentives for adopting low-carbon technologies.

2. Technology Innovations:

• Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS).
• Transition to alternative fuels and raw materials.
• Energy efficiency and digital transformation in production processes.

3. Financing Decarbonization:

• Mobilizing green finance and public-private partnerships.
• De-risking investments in low-carbon technologies.

4. Global Competitiveness:

• Leveraging India's industrial decarbonization to gain a competitive edge in global markets.

By fostering collaboration between policymakers, industry leaders and sustainability advocates, the roundtable aims to provide actionable recommendations that can inform sectoral roadmaps and support policy development while driving economic growth and global competitiveness.

For more information, please write to Arpan Golechha (arpan.golechha@wri.org) or Kartheek (ngr.kartheek@wri.org).