Research and Relevance, Episode 10: Decarbonizing the Industrial Manufacturing Sector

Scientists assert that global warming must be kept below two degrees Celsius to avoid insurmountable global disruption. Getting there will require near total decarbonization of economic activity by 2060. Industrial manufacturing accounts for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and worldwide.  Efforts to reduce energy consumption through more efficient operations have greatly reduced emissions but more innovation and investment is needed to decarbonize this critical sector.  What levers could be pulled to facilitate a more rapid transition to low-carbon manufacturing? 

 We focus on the three largest emitters of CO₂ – steel, cement, and petrochemicals – and explore some of the ideas and technologies best positioned to decarbonize these industries, and the challenges faced for broader adoption. We then discuss the levers and opportunities in the industrial sector with Darden Professor Mike Lenox, who is a co-author on the report titled Path to 2060: Decarbonizing the Industrial Sector.

 This is the third in a series of podcasts from the Business Innovation and Climate Change Initiative at Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation http://www.darden.virginia.edu/innovation-climate/. Episodes 5 and 7 of Research and Relevance discusses the automobile and electric utility industries.

Podcast hosted by Becky Duff, Senior Research Associate for the Business Innovation and Climate Change Initiative, Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.