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The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Industry is a guide by RMI that outlines strategies for cities to reduce industrial carbon emissions, which account for 7% of emissions in major cities. The guide emphasizes strategic partnerships with corporate residents due to limited jurisdictional control and proposes three specific actions: implementing clean industrial heat, upgrading to efficient motors, and establishing operator training for energy management.

The Carbon-Free City Handbook, published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in November 2017, provides a guide for city governments to implement 22 "no-regrets" actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The handbook focuses on five key sectors: buildings, transportation and mobility, electricity, industry, and biological resources, offering a framework for cities to transition toward 100% renewable energy and carbon-free operations through immediate, actionable, and economically viable policies.

This report by Sandbag analyzes how flaws in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) have created perverse incentives for the European cement sector, leading to over-allocation of free allowances and a failure to incentivize deep decarbonization. The authors argue that the ETS has effectively subsidized the production of high-carbon clinker, resulting in a net import of emissions into the EU.

This case study evaluates the potential of using a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) to implement renewable energy solutions, specifically photovoltaic (PV) panels, for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Sialkot, Pakistan. The project, supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), aimed to address severe energy shortages and high electricity costs in Sialkot's industrial sector.

This 2006 fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) outlines technologies and strategies to improve energy efficiency in the United States industrial and manufacturing sectors, highlighting specific gains in energy-intensive industries and the financial mechanisms available to offset capital costs.

This case study examines a proposed $2 million motor system upgrade at the Western Oil & Gas Company refinery in Richmond, California. Despite potential energy efficiency and reliability gains, the project faced internal hurdles including high operational risks, low strategic priority, and capital constraints due to other regulatory expenditures. The document explores how the involvement of an energy services company (ESCo) and a specialized financing firm provided the technical expertise and alternative funding structures—such as performance-based financing—necessary to make the project viable.

This briefing from Energy Innovation provides a blueprint for U.S. state policymakers to maintain energy efficiency and electrification progress in buildings and industry following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which the author projects will negatively impact the U.S. economy.

This guide from Energy Innovation provides a blueprint for U.S. state policymakers to stimulate investments in clean industries, particularly in response to the negative economic impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). It outlines strategies to attract clean industrial projects, overcome regulatory and commercial barriers, and leverage technologies like industrial thermal batteries and low-carbon hydrogen to decarbonize manufacturing.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines why the costs of carbon capture and storage (CCS) remain high, particularly within Canada's oil and gas sector. It argues that high design complexity and the need for customization prevent the cost reductions seen in renewable energy technologies, making CCS an inefficient use of public funds for oil and gas, though potentially useful for hard-to-abate industrial sectors like cement.

This research paper by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes the gap in industrial electric productivity across the United States. It argues that while exogenous factors like electricity prices and state incentives play a role, the primary constraints are internal business barriers. By addressing these barriers through holistic design and policy support, the U.S. industrial sector could save 300,000 GWh annually.

This report chapter explores how industrial production can transition from a linear 'depletion to pollution' model to a circular system based on biological principles. It argues that significant reductions in energy and material use are possible through a combination of smarter design, new technologies, distributed controls, corporate culture shifts, and the adoption of remanufacturing and recycling.

This executive summary, based on a 2009 report prepared for the Swedish Government Offices, outlines an integrated approach for the European Union to combine climate change mitigation and energy security with economic competitiveness. It advocates for an 'eco-efficient economy' through resource efficiency, the development of new technology markets, and the establishment of stable global carbon prices.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the European Commission's proposal for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and analyzes its implications for Swedish climate goals and industrial competitiveness. It focuses on four critical areas: the phase-out of free allowances, the exclusion of exports, the scope of emissions covered, and the crediting of third-country climate policies, while detailing the divergent perspectives of Swedish industry and environmental stakeholders.

This fact sheet describes a project (October 2016 – January 2018) led by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Swedish Steel Producers Association (Jernkontoret) to develop a "societal value compass" for the Swedish steel industry. The tool is designed to help the industry align its research, investments, and product development with its 2050 vision of producing only positive societal value, utilizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and capital theory.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the global landscape of emissions intensity benchmarks and accounting methodologies for the cement and steel industries, emphasizing the need for harmonization to facilitate international trade in low-carbon materials.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute outlines policy design considerations for implementing a tradable, low-carbon product standard for the steel industry in the United States to incentivize the adoption of decarbonization technologies while maintaining international competitiveness.

This report by the World Resources Institute examines the role of energy efficiency in the economic and environmental performance of pulp and paper mills in the U.S. Midwest, analyzing facility-level data to identify cost-effective energy and emissions reductions.

This research paper examines technical pathways for decarbonizing petroleum refineries in the United States to support the national goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. It analyzes the use of fuel switching, electrification, and carbon capture to reduce facility emissions and suggests a long-term transition toward processing renewable feedstocks for hard-to-abate transportation sectors.

This report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) outlines a strategic pathway for China to achieve deep decarbonization by 2050, focusing on the critical transition period of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025). It argues that adopting a 'Strengthened Ambition Scenario' (SAS) can lead to significant economic and social benefits, including a net social gain of 6.5 trillion yuan in 2050 and the avoidance of 1.89 million premature deaths annually by that year. The report emphasizes the role of key economic regions—the Yangtze River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area—in leading the national transition by peaking emissions early.