Issue 4, 2024

Emissions-intensive and trade-exposed industries: technological innovation and climate policy solutions to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050

Abstract

It is critically important to pursue the decarbonization of emissions-intensive and trade-exposed (EITE) industries in British Columbia (BC) and Canada and successfully integrate innovation-supporting policies with decarbonization policies designed to rapidly reduce industrial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Focusing on EITE industries in BC, we have investigated the potential of decarbonization in five sectors: oil and gas, pulp and paper, aluminum smelting, cement clinker manufacturing, and mining. This paper examines available net-zero carbon technologies that these EITE industries could potentially adopt to achieve decarbonization targets. The key technologies identified are hydrogen, carbon capture and digitalization. Additionally, we identify continued innovation policy and support to promote the growth and prosperity of a low-carbon supply chain, BC's industrial competitiveness, and the scale-up of renewable companies and infrastructure. To aid public and private sectors in striving for sustainable pathways to decarbonization, we have developed a Technology Roadmap for BC to help policymakers and firms formulate a climate change mitigation strategy employing innovative technologies for large industrial emitters. Our analysis indicates renewable and low carbon intensity fuels such as hydrogen can play a vital role in reducing emissions across a wide range of BC's EITE sectors (i.e., displacing diesel and eventually natural gas), thus having economic and environmental benefits for BC.

Graphical abstract: Emissions-intensive and trade-exposed industries: technological innovation and climate policy solutions to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050

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Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
21 Sept. 2023
Accepted
21 Dec. 2023
First published
22 Dec. 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Sustain., 2024,2, 903-927

Emissions-intensive and trade-exposed industries: technological innovation and climate policy solutions to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050

A. Mani, T. Budd and E. Maine, RSC Sustain., 2024, 2, 903 DOI: 10.1039/D3SU00335C

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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