Energy, material, and resource efficiency for industrial decarbonization: A systematic review of sociotechnical systems, technological innovations, and policy options

Abstract

Efficiency stands out as one of the most important options for achieving industrial decarbonization. In addition to carbon emissions reductions, improving energy, material and resource efficiency can bring many desirable benefits, such as cost savings, increased energy and resource security, and higher productivity. However, despite these clear benefits being understood for decades, the adoption of efficiency practices still lags far behind its potential, and commercial liftoff remains a challenge. To understand these gaps, we conducted a comprehensive and systematic review through a socio-technical lens of more than 2.8 million references and 380 selected studies on industrial decarbonization. This research uses a socio-technical lens across the industrial supply chain and delves into the classes of raw materials and feedstocks, pre-processing, manufacturing, and waste and recycling. The paper also clarifies the barriers to decarbonization efforts, which include economic, organizational, and behavioral challenges, and highlights policy measures to address these barriers. It concludes by outlining areas for further research.