Industrial Heat Is a Surprisingly Big Source of Carbon Emissions

The industrial sector is the third-biggest source of carbon pollution in the US. While the need to cut emissions from steel and cement receives the most attention, a new report makes it clear that dozens of industries, from ethanol to toilet paper and breakfast cereal, share a ready-made climate solution: electrification.

Electrifying these overlooked sources of CO2 has the potential to cut their emissions 26% by 2050, a reduction of about 1 billion tons, below a 2023 baseline, according to an 18-month analysis conducted by researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

“We’re shining a light on what the opportunity space looks like ...