The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a pilot project to measure the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of certain industrial products. This initiative aims to address the growing global demand for materials produced with low emissions, driven by new climate-focused trade policies, national green procurement efforts like the Biden-Harris Administration’s Buy Clean initiative, international accords, industry commitments, and consumer preferences.
As clean manufacturing gains traction, there is a need for a fair and coherent system to measure the GHG intensity of energy-intensive industrial products. An accurate measurement approach will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate goals by tracking and promoting progress in reducing industrial emissions while enhancing the competitiveness of clean manufacturing.
The White House Task Force on Climate, Trade, and Industrial Competitiveness plans to collaborate with Congress, stakeholders, and trade partners to develop GHG intensity measurement tools for select industrial products. The DOE will contribute by combining data from existing sources to create rigorous and timely statistics on the GHG intensity of these products, starting with U.S. production.
“The historic Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have sparked a wave of government-enabled and private sector-led investments in clean energy, helping our manufacturers become the cleanest and most competitive in the world," said U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David M. Turk. "Together with our international partners, the U.S. will significantly reduce emissions in our industrial supply chains while supporting competitive clean manufacturing.”
U.S National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi stated: “For too long, people dismissed industrial emissions – a major source of climate pollution – as too hard to tackle. But the Biden-Harris Administration is changing the game, using all tools in the policy toolbox to accelerate the industrial transformation that we need to meet our climate goals and support good manufacturing jobs in hard-hit industrial communities.” He added that progress is being made in building data infrastructure necessary for this strategy.
The DOE is currently deploying over $20 billion in funding from federal and private cost shares for industrial decarbonization—the largest investment in U.S. history—which is expected to avoid millions of tons of emissions annually and create tens of thousands of new jobs.
The White House Task Force on Climate, Trade, and Industrial Competitiveness along with DOE will engage various stakeholders including Congress; industry; labor; environmental groups; academic institutions; trade partners; among others to develop accurate GHG intensity statistics.
Stakeholders are invited to learn more at an upcoming webinar later this year.
