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India's heavy industries emit 920 million tonnes of CO2 annually, with steel and cement contributing 18% of total national emissions. The report argues that green electrification is a critical lever for decarbonisation, starting with the transition of current electricity demand to renewable energy sources (RES) by 2030 and moving toward deep electrification and power-to-fuel technologies by 2050. By 2030, meeting the projected 253 TWh industrial electricity demand with RES would require 120 GW of capacity and could avoid 180 Mt of CO2. In the long term, a 'Potential Electrification Case' suggests that electricity's share of industrial energy consumption could triple to 34.5% by 2050, requiring 699 GW of RES capacity and potentially reducing CO2 emissions by 37% (737 Mt) compared to business-as-usual.

The document highlights the critical role of China's iron and steel sector in the global carbon budget, noting that current emission trajectories could exhaust the sector's projected budget in 5-12 years. It advocates for the development of industry-level targets derived from China's national goals of carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, supported by technological feasibility assessments and synergistic mechanisms involving trading, financing, and carbon asset management.

The report argues that transition indicators can bridge the 'ambition gap' and 'implementation gap' by articulating the tangible socio-economic benefits of climate neutrality and resilience. Through case studies in Germany, South Korea, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, and the Netherlands, the authors propose specific metrics for the power, industry, transport, building, and agricultural sectors. These indicators are designed to facilitate inclusive social dialogue, improve governance by clarifying sectoral responsibilities, and encourage international mutual learning, particularly within the Global South.

The study finds that direct electrification could replace 90% of the energy demand not yet electrified in European industry by 2035. While technologies like heat pumps and electric boilers are mature for low-temperature needs, high-temperature applications in sectors like cement and steel require further development of plasma, shock-wave, and resistance heating. The report highlights that economic barriers—specifically the price gap between electricity and natural gas—and organisational hurdles, such as insufficient grid infrastructure and long equipment lifetimes, are more significant obstacles than technical limitations. It argues that direct electrification is generally more energy-efficient than indirect electrification via hydrogen, particularly for low-temperature applications.

The FSD Program addresses the funding gap for the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals by shifting focus from the supply side of finance to the demand side. By analyzing firm-level investment decisions in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs), the program identifies the enabling conditions and blended-finance instruments—such as guarantees and risk mitigation—necessary to make sustainable projects attractive to private investors. This micro-level evidence is then used to inform macro-level global and regional policy frameworks.

The U.S. cement industry is more emissions-intensive than global peers due to a higher clinker-to-cement ratio. The document advocates for the use of blended cements—which replace clinker with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)—as a primary near-term decarbonization lever. While the adoption of Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) has increased, the author argues that more aggressive substitution standards, such as those for limestone calcined clay (LC3), and demand-side procurement policies are necessary to reach net-zero goals.

The document argues that hydrogen blending is neither an economical nor an effective way to decarbonize natural gas users, noting that low-concentration blends provide insignificant emissions reductions and high-concentration blends require significant infrastructure upgrades.

This discussion paper by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the financing requirements and barriers for decarbonizing the industrial sector in India, with a specific focus on the iron and steel sectors.

The report identifies 219 facilities in Pennsylvania eligible for 45Q tax credits, emitting 82.5 million metric tons of CO2 annually. While the Lockport and Knox formations offer a theoretical storage capacity of 510 to 1,640 million metric tons, low permeability across most assessed saline aquifers poses a significant challenge to commercial viability. Alternative storage options include depleted oil and gas fields, CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and the Marcellus and Utica shales, though the latter requires further research.

The report identifies 219 facilities in Pennsylvania eligible for 45Q tax credits, emitting 82.5 million metric tons of CO2 annually. While the Lockport and Knox formations offer a theoretical storage capacity of 510 to 1,640 million metric tons, low permeability across most assessed saline aquifers poses significant challenges for commercially viable injection. Alternative options include depleted oil and gas fields, CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and the Marcellus and Utica shales, though the latter requires further research. Due to the geographic mismatch between emission sources and high-quality storage sites, the report concludes that CO2 pipelines will likely be necessary.

The paper analyzes the financing gap in India's iron and steel sector, which is the country's largest industrial GHG emitter. It highlights a risk of carbon lock-in as 196 MTPA of fossil-based capacity is planned for 2021-2038. The authors propose a five-pillar framework—sectoral policies, enabling ecosystems, bankable business models, financing/derisking mechanisms, and financial sector regulations—to transition from fossil-intensive production to low-carbon technologies like green hydrogen-DRI. It details specific instruments such as Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfD), blended debt funds, and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to bridge the investment gap.

The report argues that the EU is not on track to meet its 2030 and 2050 climate goals and must shift to an 'option-based' approach that integrates a broad range of low- and zero-carbon technologies. Key recommendations include scaling up carbon capture and storage (CCS), diversifying the energy mix with small modular reactors (SMRs), superhot rock geothermal, and fusion energy, and implementing a rigorous methane import standard. It emphasizes the need for a comprehensive green industrial strategy, a dedicated climate fund to replace the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and international cooperation to set global clean-tech standards.

CATF opposes the UK government's consultation on hydrogen blending into gas networks, stating that low-carbon hydrogen is too scarce and expensive to be used for residential heating or minimal GHG reductions in power generation. They recommend prioritising 'no regrets' industrial sectors, such as refineries and ammonia producers, and using electrolytic hydrogen from curtailed electricity for long-duration energy storage instead of grid injection.

The report argues that the UK is currently off track to meet its 2030 NDC and sixth carbon budget, necessitating a shift toward 'accountability and implementation'. It advocates for a systems-based approach that complements electrification with carbon capture and storage (CCS), low-carbon hydrogen, nuclear energy, and aggressive methane mitigation. Key recommendations include establishing a Methane Action Plan, creating a 'producer responsibility' policy for CO2 storage, and prioritising low-carbon hydrogen for 'no-regrets' industrial sectors like refining and ammonia production. The document also emphasises the need for international collaboration, particularly with the EU and emerging economies, to scale these technologies and maintain the UK's global climate leadership.

The report argues that Poland, as one of Europe's most carbon-intensive economies, must adopt a diversified technology portfolio to achieve climate neutrality. It recommends a shift from coal (currently 70% of the power mix) toward a combination of renewables, nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS), clean hydrogen, and superhot rock geothermal energy. The authors emphasize that restricting technology options would significantly increase system costs and infrastructure needs. Key policy recommendations include implementing 'carbon contracts for difference' to advance CCS, prioritizing clean hydrogen for 'no regrets' industrial sectors, and reforming the nuclear industry through standardized, product-based business models. Additionally, the report calls for urgent action to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector and the mapping of thousands of abandoned wells. Public polling indicates strong Polish support for advanced nuclear (63%) and superhot rock energy (66%).

China's steel industry is dominated by emissions-intensive BF-BOF technology, which accounted for almost 94% of industry emissions in 2022. While the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) set a target of 15% EAF production by 2025, the document argues that China already possesses the capacity (151 mtpa) to meet this goal if utilization rates are increased. Achieving a more ambitious 20% EAF target by 2025 could reduce industry emissions by 217 mtpa CO2, nearly 11% of 2022 levels. Key obstacles to this transition include scrap steel distribution and power supply stability, though the growth of scrap availability and offshore wind energy provides opportunities for decarbonization.

The briefing examines the role of carbon capture and storage (CCS), noting that the majority of the world's 41 operational projects are linked to the oil and gas industry, specifically for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). It highlights a history of 'unmet expectations' and slow deployment, with capture rates often falling short of targets. While CCS is proposed for hard-to-abate sectors like cement and steel, the document argues it is often less cost-effective than electrification or energy efficiency. It further details how CCS projects in Norway, Canada, and Australia have been used to maintain the financial viability of fossil fuel extraction.

The document analyzes the implementation of CCfDs in Europe, specifically comparing the Dutch SDE++, the UK's Industrial Carbon Capture (ICC) contract, and the Danish CCUS Fund. It details how these mechanisms bridge the cost gap between the EU ETS carbon price and the actual cost of carbon abatement for hard-to-abate sectors like cement, steel, and chemicals. The analysis covers critical design elements including fund sizes, technology eligibility, reference and bid pricing, payment symmetry, and the management of cross-chain risks related to transport and storage (T&S) infrastructure.

The EESI 2023 Climate, Environmental, and Energy Congressional Hearings Tracker catalogs hearings across numerous House and Senate committees. House activity was led by the Natural Resources (28 hearings) and Energy and Commerce (24 hearings) committees, focusing on energy security, grid reliability, and critical minerals. Senate activity was prominent in the Environment and Public Works (22 hearings) and Budget (10 hearings) committees, with a strong emphasis on the economic costs of climate change, infrastructure resilience, and the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is indispensable for Austria to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, particularly for hard-to-abate sectors like cement, lime, and steel. The document recommends that Austria set specific deployment targets, remove legal barriers to geological CO2 storage, and develop a strategic plan for operationalising storage sites by 2035. To address the 'chicken and egg' problem of infrastructure investment, CATF suggests 'oversizing' transport networks and establishing an aggregation platform to match CO2 sources with sinks. Financially, the document proposes the use of carbon contracts for difference (CCfDs) to bridge the gap between EU ETS prices and decarbonisation costs, while advocating for long-term market demand through near-zero carbon product standards. Finally, it emphasizes the need for proactive public engagement and inclusive stakeholder dialogues to build political and social support for CCS.