Industry's share of global CO2 emissions
Industry was directly responsible for emitting about 9.0 gigatonnes of CO2 in 2022 — roughly a quarter of all energy-system CO2 emissions. That makes heavy industry one of the largest and hardest-to-abate sources of emissions worldwide.
Source: IEA — Industry — Energy System (2023)
What it means
Industry generating about a quarter of energy-related CO2 directly means decarbonising factories is not optional to any credible climate plan — and that operators will face rising carbon costs, reporting duties and customer pressure. The cheapest first move is almost always efficiency: cutting energy waste lowers both the bill and the emissions before any fuel switch.
Context
The IEA's industry tracking separates 'direct' emissions — from burning fuel and from process chemistry on site — from the indirect emissions embedded in purchased electricity. Steel, cement, chemicals and aluminium dominate the direct total and are termed 'hard-to-abate' because their heat and chemistry are difficult to electrify. Counting conventions differ, so the precise share moves a point or two between sources, but 'about a quarter' is the consistent figure.
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Related topics
Is Industrial Insulation Worth It? Payback and ROI · How to Reduce Industrial Energy Costs: Practical Quick Wins · Carbon Footprint · Net Zero · Energy Audit
Relevant to: Steel & Metals · Cement · Chemicals