Switch to product and material pathways that abate or avoid process emissions

‘Process emissions’ – or emissions that occur during industrial manufacturing processes – can be extremely difficult to abate and account for substantive share of industrial greenhouse gas emissions. Process emissions can be reduced by deploying solutions such as CCUS (in cement manufacturing) or hydrogen (for steel). In some cases, alternative pathways can be explored. For example, anode emissions from aluminum smelting can be reduced by using inert anodes, while limestone substitutes for cement could lower this sector’s process emissions. Governments therefore can encourage companies to switch to product and material pathways that abate or avoid process emissions. In particular, policies should help tackle the still-high costs of available climate solutions including electrification, green hydrogen or CCUS. For more on CCUS and hydrogen, see Pillar 2: Industry and materials.