Leveraging a Climate-neutral Society
Strategic Research Network

The industrial sector is responsible for over 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and the majority of global resource use. These are concentrated in a small number of heavy industries such as steel and cement, petrochemicals, glass and paper, which typically convert (fossil) natural resources into materials. These industries are often referred to as ‘hard to decarbonise’ sectors because their decarbonisation (or in some cases defossilisation) requires a shift to new green technologies that are often not yet proven on a large scale, that would require large amounts of green energy, and whose green products often lack markets willing to pay higher prices for the typically globally traded commodities they produce.

Despite these major challenges, there has been recent political momentum to drive decarbonisation in heavy industry, including at the global level, for example with the Climate Club led by Chile and Germany. Governments have re-emphasised industrial development, especially around green technologies such as photovoltaics, batteries and electric cars, as a strategic area for growth and international competition, and have launched strong policies such as the US Inflation Reduction Act, the European Net Zero Industry Act and active industrial policies in China. Research has also shown that the decarbonisation of heavy industry may lead to changes in industrial structures, including relocation. Such trends will bring opportunities for decarbonisation and the development of renewable energy-rich regions in the Global South, but also challenges for a just transition in established industrial regions.

The session will explore the current state of the science on industrial decarbonisation, how it can be accelerated, and how it could even become a leader in global decarbonisation.

In recent decades, the world population has steadily and rapidly grown, exceeding 8 billion in 2022 according to the United Nations. This has led to a rise in food demand, resulting in increased exploitation of natural resources (such as water and soil), deforestation, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to intensive agriculture and livestock farming.

The Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector has a significant role in climate science since this sector is responsible not only for GHG emissions but also has the potential to act as a carbon sink: indeed, according to the latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report, the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), the AFOLU sector accounts for about 22% of GHG emissions, but at the same time has the potential for the most substantial emission reduction by 2030 (mainly through carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, reforestation, afforestation, and improved forest and soil management).

This dualism highlights the importance of supporting the research on agriculture and forestry, including urban forests, as key factors to mitigate climate change, and the importance of promoting close collaboration between science and policy to develop effective and sustainable AFOLU strategies.

With increasing urbanisation – 60% of the world’s population is now concentrated in urban areas – cities are at the forefront of a worsening climate crisis. Urban areas are particularly affected by climate change through heat islands, air pollution and flooding. Cities have become key actors in addressing the growing impacts of climate change, complementing (or filling in the gaps of) national climate strategies. Urbanisation is responsible for much of the current climate disruption, whether in wealthy, well-organised countries or in many poor countries experiencing a climate emergency. Alongside mitigation policies and measures, cities are adopting adaptation plans and strategies. However, these plans and strategies are being implemented in different contexts and depend in particular on each city’s resources (financial, human, regulatory, anticipatory). Against this background, the implementation gap on adaptation issues between cities in the global North and the least developed countries is likely to widen.

The aim of this session is to analyse the diversity of levers available to cities and urban areas to adapt to climate change in multi-scale climate governance and with the increasing role of local communities. It will look at some successful policies as well as current limitations, with potential risks of maladaptation and equity side effects of these policies. The session will also consider how adaptation policies and measures in cities and urban areas are (or could be more) part of integrated resilient pathways that address necessary linkages with other key issues such as health, employment and biodiversity (e.g. nature-based solutions).