Cement
The cement sector scopes 1 and 2 emissions account for around 5-8% of total global CO2e emissions, and have more than doubled since 2000. Clinker production accounts for over 80% of those emissions.
Bridging the Gap between Climate Science, Technology, and Business
A third of the 2,000 largest publicly traded companies globally have committed to net-zero targets in their corporate strategies, most by 2050; another 10% have pledged to do so.
Despite these ambitious targets, companies cite the lack of reliable, data-driven information on the present and future of affordable low-carbon technologies, business climate transition models, and successful examples of the implementation of different technologies or in different industries, including high-quality nature-based solutions, as the greatest single challenge to transitioning to net zero. The Climate Knowledge Initiative's mission is to fill this gap.
Explore freely available background decks, business case studies and key insights throughout the site.
Mapping Emissions and Opportunities
Where Are the Greatest Opportunities for Greenhouse Emission Reduction
To decarbonize the global economy, tackling key high emitting sectors can have an outsized impact. Our research is focused on these hard to abate sectors and the abatement potential of known solutions.
All Topics
Steel
Cement
Solar
Green Hydrogen
Energy Storage
Sources: Scope 1 emissions from Rhodium Group ClimateDeck (September 2024); Scope 2 iron and steel estimate from IEA (2023); * 2024 emissions based on projections.
Credit: Theo Moers, Hyae Ryung Kim and Gernot Wagner (27 September 2024); share/adapt with attribution. Contact: [email protected]
Scope 1
Scope 2
Steel Sector Scopes 1 and 2 around 10% of global CO2e emissions
The steel sector scopes 1 and 2 emissions account for around 10% of total global CO2e emissions, and have more than doubled since 2000. The majority of these emissions are process emissions (industry) and energy emissions (power and heat) associated with the coke oven, iron furnace, and steel furnace stages of steel production.
Sources: Scope 1 emissions from Rhodium Group ClimateDeck (September 2024); Scope 2 iron and steel estimate from IEA (2023); * 2024 emissions based on projections.
Credit: Theo Moers, Mimi Khawsam-ang, Max de Boer, Grace Frascati, Hyae Ryung Kim, and Gernot Wagner. Share with attribution: de Boer et al., “Decarbonizing Steel” (27 September 2024).
Scope 1
Scope 2
Cement sector Scopes 1 and 2 around 5-8% of global C02e emissions
The cement sector scopes 1 and 2 emissions account for around 5-8% of total global CO2e emissions, and have more than doubled since 2000. Clinker production accounts for over 80% of those emissions. 50 to 60% of emissions are innate to the calcination process that extracts lime from limestone in a chemical reaction that produces CO2 as a byproduct (industry), while 30 to 40% of emissions come from the fuels used to heat the kiln where the calcination process takes place (power and heat).
Sources: Scope 1 emissions from Rhodium Group ClimateDeck (September 2024); Scope 2 cement emissions estimated assuming indirect emissions from electricity are 10% of total emissions, IEA (2023); * 2024 emissions based on projections.
Credit: Theo Moers, Hoshi Ogawa, Sho Tatsuno, Jessica Cong, Hyae Ryung Kim, and Gernot Wagner. Share with attribution: Kim et al., “Decarbonizing Cement” (27 September 2024).
Abatement in Economic Transition Scenario
Additional Abatement in Net Zero Scenario
Solar can abate 5.5 to 10 Gb of C02e by 2050 in select subsectors depending on the transition scenario
Widespread deployment of solar energy production can abate 5.5 to 10 gigatonnes of CO2e by 2050 in select subsectors, including 24% to 43% of power and heat, depending on the transition scenario.
Sources: Scope 1 emissions from Rhodium Group Climate Deck (September 2024); abatement estimates from BloombergNEF, IRENA, IEA (2023), and Way et al. (2022); * 2024 emissions based on projections.
Credit: Hassan Riaz, Theo Moers, Hyae Ryung Kim, and Gernot Wagner. Share with attribution: Kim et al., “Scaling Solar” (1 October 2024).
Abatement in International Energy Agency (IEA) net-zero scenario
Green H2 targets industry, power, and transport with an estimated emission abatement of ~3 billion tonnes by 2050
Hydrogen is a gaseous energy molecule that functions as a fuel source to produce electricity and heat. It also serves as an input for chemical processes―for example, in refining. As such, green hydrogen holds significant potential as a low-carbon energy source for the heat and power sector and as a decarbonization enabler for difficult-to-abate sectors, including steel, cement, chemicals, and potentially transportation. It has an estimated emission abatement potential of ~3 billion tonnes of CO2e by 2050.
Sources: Scope 1 emissions from Rhodium Group ClimateDeck (September 2024); abatement estimates from IEA Net Zero Roadmap (2023); BNEF Energy Outlook (2024); other industry sources; *2024 emissions based on projections.
Credit: Theo Moers, Hyae Ryung Kim, and Gernot Wagner. Share with attribution: Sayn-Wittgenstein et al., “Greening Hydrogen” (12 December 2024).
Abatement in Economic Transition Scenario
Additional Abatement in Net Zero Scenario
Energy storage has the potential to abate up to 17 Gt of CO2 emissions across sectors by 2050
Energy storage plays a critical role in the transition to a clean and sustainable energy future, tackling the challenges of using intermittent renewable energy sources, improving grid stability and dispatchability, and powering electric vehicles (EVs). Energy storage has the potential to abate up to 17 Gt of CO2 emissions across sectors by 2050, primarily by supporting renewable power and the electrification of transport.
Key Topics to Explore
Energy Storage
Developments in batteries and other energy storage technology have accelerated to a seemingly head-spinning pace recently — even for the scientists, investors, and business leaders at the forefront of the industry.
Green Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a gaseous energy molecule that functions as a fuel source to produce electricity and heat. It also serves as an input for chemical processes―for example, in refining.
Solar
Widespread deployment of solar energy production can abate 5.5 to 10 gigatonnes of CO2e by 2050 in select subsectors, including 24% to 43% of power and heat, depending on the transition scenario.
Steel
The steel sector is responsible for around 10% of global CO2e emissions, which have doubled since 2000. The majority of these emissions come from the carbon-intensive coke oven, iron furnace, and steel furnace stages of production.
Wind
Wind turbines are hardly the buzziest of clean technologies. After all, rudimentary versions of these systems, which capture kinetic energy from airflows and convert a portion of it into electric energy, were the earliest competitive form of renewable electricity.
Latest Insights
Business and Society
Climate and Solutions
Climate and Technology
Energy
Energy Solutions
Solar
How States Like Texas Are Driving the Clean Energy Boom in the Trump Era
Despite federal rollbacks, both red and blue states are using federal and state incentives to drive investment and upgrade energy infrastructure.
Climate and Solutions
Climate and Technology
Energy
Energy Solutions
Energy Transition
Wind
Can Wind Energy Compete? Three Key Takeaways on Its Future
Wind energy has long been a cornerstone of the renewable energy sector, yet it faces increasing competition from solar power, supply chain disruptions, and shifting global policies. Here are three critical forces shaping the future of wind energy.
Battery
Climate and Solutions
Climate and Technology
Energy
Energy Solutions
Energy Storage Systems
The Future of Energy Storage: Five Key Insights on Battery Innovation and the Clean Energy Shift
Breakthroughs in battery technology are transforming the global energy landscape, fueling the transition to clean energy and reshaping industries from transportation to utilities. With demand for energy storage soaring, what’s next for batteries—and how can businesses, policymakers, and investors keep pace?
Climate and Solutions
Energy
Energy Solutions
Green Hydrogen
Greening Hydrogen: Challenges, Innovations, and Opportunities
Green hydrogen production faces significant challenges due to high costs. Columbia Business School examines the current landscape, highlighting technological innovations and future prospects in this emerging field.
Climate and Solutions
Energy
Solar
Scaling Solar for a Renewable Energy Future: Key Challenges and Opportunities
As the world rushes toward a net-zero future, the experiences of Wendy De Wolf '18, co-founder of East Light Partners, underscore the opportunities and obstacles in scaling renewable energy and making solar power a dominant force in global energy production.