Industrial Sectors Dashboard
Sector-specific challenges, technologies, and policy pathways for steel, cement, chemicals, and aluminum
Your Progress
Section 3 of 5The Hard-to-Abate Sectors
Four sectors—steel, cement, chemicals, and aluminum—account for 70% of industrial emissions and are the hardest to decarbonize. Why? Extreme temperatures (blast furnaces at 1,500°C), process emissions (cement's calcination releases CO₂ chemically, not just from fuel), capital intensity (plants cost billions, last 40 years), and razor-thin margins (3-5% profit). Each sector requires tailored solutions: steel needs green hydrogen or scrap electrification; cement needs alternative clinkers or carbon capture; chemicals need bio-feedstocks or electrified cracking; aluminum needs clean electricity and inert anodes. No one-size-fits-all. Policy must be sector-specific: understand the technical barriers, cost structures, trade exposure, and technology readiness. The dashboard below lets you explore each sector's unique challenges and pathways.
Interactive Sector Dashboard
Click sectors to explore emissions, challenges, technology pathways, and policy needs
Steel
⚠️ Decarbonization Challenge
Coal blast furnaces (1,500°C), locked-in capital, thin margins
🚀 Decarbonization Technologies
🎯 Policy Support Needed
Carbon contracts for difference (CCfDs) to bridge cost gap. H₂ infrastructure investment. Green public procurement mandates.
Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Guide
💡 Key Insight
Technology maturity varies wildly: aluminum recycling is TRL 9 (commercial), hydrogen steelmaking is TRL 7 (demonstration), and molten oxide electrolysis is TRL 4 (lab). Policy must match support to readiness: subsidize deployment for mature tech, fund R&D for breakthroughs, de-risk demonstration for middle stages.