Zero Waste Europe and Eunomia publish report on the ability of aluminum, concrete, steel, and plastics industries to meet global carbon budgets; current efforts and plans are unlikely to be sufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C; call for urgent actions to reduce material use.

On November 10, 2022, Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) and Eunomia research and consulting announced the release of a new report analyzing the decarbonization pathways for key material sectors and their ability to meet global carbon budgets. The report “Is net zero enough for the materials sector?” states that the material production sector is of significant importance in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as it currently accounts for about 25% of global emissions. This sector includes resource extraction and processing of raw materials. The report finds “that published plans for net zero by 2050 in the materials sector are unlikely to be enough to limit warming to 1.5°C” and that “the impact of deploying abatement technologies after 2030 is substantially less effective than more near-term, widespread, commercial deployment.”