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.
How to interpret this data
About the source: This data comes from IEA. Public datasets like this are the foundation of fact-based decision-making in industry. When you see these numbers cited in vendor proposals or consultant reports, remember: the raw data is freely available, and the value is in how you interpret it for your specific plant and situation.
Where this matters: Is industrial insulation worth it?, How to reduce industrial energy costs are built on insights like the data shown here. Rather than treat data in isolation, read the deeper guides to see how these trends translate into actionable levers for your plant.
Sector relevance: This dataset is especially relevant to Steel & Metals, Cement. These sectors face the trends and challenges you see in this chart daily — energy cost pressure, the push for decarbonization, adoption of AI and predictive maintenance. Use this data to benchmark your plant against the industry average and identify where you lag or lead.
How to use this data: Take the headline number but look deeper at the chart. Is it growing or shrinking? Which segments or regions drive the trend? Does your plant's data align, or are you an outlier? Outliers are often where the best opportunities hide — either an efficiency gap you can exploit, or a leading practice you can copy.
Related charts
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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