Basic materials such as steel, cement, chemicals and lime account for almost half of Germany’s industrial emissions. This poster sets out the options for decarbonizing their production. Five cross-cutting levers for industrial decarbonization are described: direct electrification, material circularity, energy efficiency, green hydrogen and PtX, and CCU/CCS. A case study then walks through the options for reducing emissions in cement production and use. It diagnoses where low-carbon materials stand on the path to market, showing that the technology is ready while finance and system conditions remain the binding constraints, and offers three policy recommendations to close that gap. Finally, it features the emerging low-carbon materials innovators across the TfNZ ecosystem.
Our policy recommendations to scale up low-carbon materials:
Adopt performance-based standards: Replace prescriptive, recipe-based rules with performance-based standards, harmonized carbon accounting and fast-track approvals to cut costs fast.
Scale innovation through public offtake: Use government procurement to signal demand for low-carbon materials and establish credible labeling and certification aligned with private-sector standards.
Make carbon pricing work for low-carbon materials: Deliver a predictable ETS price path with a clear free-allowance phase-out, backed by a robust CBAM, so European producers can compete.
