Bottom-up estimates of deep decarbonization of U.S. manufacturing in 2050
Last Updated: 06-27-2023
This 15-page paper from the Journal of Cleaner Production estimates the potential for future CO2 emission reductions in the manufacturing sector.
From the paper's abstract:
The analysis is a detailed accounting exercise that relies on estimates of emission-reduction
potential from other studies and applies those potentials to the manufacturing sector using a bottom-up approach. The actions are grouped into four “pillars” that support deep decarbonization of manufacturing (DDM): Energy Efficiency, Material Efficiency, Industry-Specific, and Power Grid. Based on this bottom-up approach, the analysis shows that an 86% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the Reference Case is feasible. No single pillar dominates DDM, although opportunities vary widely by sub-sector. The analysis shows that a strategy incorporating a broad set of elements from each pillar can be effective instead of relying on any single pillar. Some pillars, such as Energy Efficiency and Material Efficiency, have wide applicability; others have key niche roles that are Industry-Specific; the Power Grid pillar requires interaction between grid decarbonization and industry action to switch from fossil fuels to zero-carbon electricity where appropriate.