Decarbonizing industry: a strategic imperative

Decarbonizing industry is now a strategic imperative. France's ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels) and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 is driving manufacturers to accelerate their energy transition and reinvent their processes. However, this transition is not without its challenges. Faced with technical, strategic, and financial hurdles, manufacturers must reconcile energy efficiency with regulatory requirements while maintaining their competitiveness. To meet these challenges, they can rely on a dynamic ecosystem: energy and low-carbon solution providers, construction and industrial engineering companies, auditing, consulting, and technology service firms, and more. A myriad of stakeholders see decarbonization as an attractive activity, given the massive public investment plans implemented in recent years.

Mixed progress…

French industry(1) has made significant progress in reducing its carbon footprint, with greenhouse gas emissions decreasing by nearly 60% in 35 years, from 140,3 Mt CO2e in 1990 to 59,9 Mt CO2e(2) in 2025. This decline has been almost continuous over the period, apart from a few temporary setbacks linked to periods of recession such as the European Monetary System crisis in 1993, the economic crisis of 2008-2009, and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. This can be explained by a combination of factors: deindustrialization leading to factory closures and the relocation of polluting activities outside the country (particularly in the chemical and metallurgical sectors), increasing regulatory pressure to combat greenhouse gas emissions, and rising energy prices (especially during the global energy crisis between 2021 and 2023), and the decline in activity in several sectors (automotive, textiles, consumer electronics, etc.).

At the same time, investments made by industry in decarbonization have also contributed to reducing polluting emissions. Among the levers used are improving energy efficiency, replacing fossil fuels with decarbonized energy sources, and electrifying processes.

… or even insufficient for some sites

Despite the progress made, our analysis reveals insufficient decarbonization efforts for some players. Indeed, no fewer than 21 of the 50 French industrial sites with the highest CO2 emissions saw an increase in their carbon footprint in 2024. All major sectors are affected: metallurgy, chemicals, cement, lime, and food processing. The decrease in emissions recorded for most cement plants is more cyclical and does not yet reflect a comprehensive and profound decarbonization of their operations. This is all the more true given that it is partly artificial, a consequence of the growth in clinker imports (a basic component of cement, the production of which is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions) which are replacing domestic production.

Study Summary

Getting to the heart of the matter: study summary and key findings

Context and challenges of decarbonization

Definition and objectives of decarbonization

Deciphering the economic and climate issues

Analysis of the regulatory framework and public policies (SNBC, France 2030 plan…)

Current situation by sector

Assessment of decarbonization targets and concrete progress in transition by sector: metallurgy, chemicals, construction materials, agri-food…

Focus on the sites that emit the most CO2

Decarbonization technologies and solutions

Benchmarking of technological levers: carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), waste heat recovery, substitution of carbon-based energies, circular economy, AI…

Business cases illustrating existing decarbonization solutions and successful or ongoing projects

Decarbonization ecosystem

Analysis of the forces at play: energy and low-carbon solutions providers, construction and industrial engineering companies, auditing, consulting and technology services firms, startups...

Profiles of the main players: key figures, offering and positioning, key initiatives, partnerships established, strategic levers activated…

(1) Manufacturing and construction industry

(2) Estimate Les Echos Studies

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.