G7 members can lead the world in reducing emissions from heavy industry: IEA

Published date20 May 2022
Publication titleLETA

G7 economies are well placed to be first movers on driving down carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industry, setting out a path for the rest of the world for this essential part of the transition to clean energy systems, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The report, Achieving Net Zero Heavy Industry Sectors in G7 Members, was requested by Germany under its 2022 Presidency of the G7 to inform policy makers, industrial leaders and other decision makers ahead of this month's G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers' Meeting in Berlin and beyond. The report lays out a series of recommendations for G7 economies to advance the transition towards near zero emission steel and cement production, building on the IEA's landmark report last year, Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector.

G7 members - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States plus the European Union - account for around 40% of the global economy, 30% of energy demand and 25% of energy system CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, heavy industry's direct CO2 emissions amount to around 6 billion tonnes per year, more than one-sixth of total CO2 emissions from the global energy system. Producers of steel and cement in particular face unique challenges to drastically reduce their emissions footprint. The G7's economic heft, technology leadership and international alliances present it with a special role in leading the way and inspiring successful energy transitions in these crucial sectors, the new report says.

"There is no way to reach net zero without dramatic reductions in emissions from heavy industry, and G7 economies have both a responsibility and an opportunity to take a leadership role in driving that forward," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. "Emissions from heavy industry are among the most stubborn, making it essential that countries with significant financial and technological resources use them to scale up practical solutions in a coordinated way. This new report sets out realistic and actionable steps for G7 members that can provide a catalyst for the global progress that is urgently needed."

"To achieve our goal to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, we have to decarbonise our industries. This decade is key to set the tracks to climate neutrality. Especially in sectors where emissions are high but hard-to-abate like steel and cement, we have to fundamentally shift production methods.," said...

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