The Industrial Revolution - Part 2

Like it or not, industry drives the global economy. Without materials such as steel, cement, fertiliser, chemicals, aluminium and silicon we cannot build roads, railways, bridges, houses, windmills, solar panels, cars, computers, electricity networks and all the other things on which we have become so dependent. The need for industrial products is expected to increase substantially in the coming decades, as the world’s steadily increasing population gains a higher standard of living.

But at the same time, industry represents a major environmental challenge. Industrial activity causes 40 percent of the world’s CO₂ emissions and 30 percent of its energy use. Even though many companies have made great progress during the past decades in making their energy use more efficient and cutting emissions, the total production volume has increased more rapidly. The result is that industry’s total greenhouse gas emissions and energy use have increased. The key to solving the industrial climate challenge is a strong focus on developing more efficient manufacturing processes for cleaner and better products.