Net-Zero in Manufacturing Initiative

The unprecedented changes the world has recently faced have awaken a stronger call for business, governments and society to be resilient and better prepared for future disruptions. Climate change is our biggest challenge of the 21st century, which poses indisputable threats to the sustainable and prosperous growth of economies and the preservation of our planet. The recent IPCC special report highlights the urgency to cut global CO2 emissions by nearly in half by 2030, and strive for a net-zero by 2050.

Manufacturing and production sectors are the engine of economic growth and social impact, accounting for 16% of global GDP. These sectors are also responsible for producing 20% of global CO2 emissions and consuming 54% of the world’s energy. The transition to a net-zero industry presents a huge untapped opportunity for leaders in manufacturing to increase innovation for growth, competitiveness and resilience. As the urgency to alter the business-as-usual approach becomes a priority, industry leaders also recognize the pressing need to collectively drive concrete actions and build multi-stakeholder collaborations to speed the transition towards a carbon-neutral future of manufacturing over the next decade.

Responding to a global call from industry leaders, the Carbon Reduction in Manufacturing Initiative was launched in January 2020 by the Advanced Manufacturing and Production Platform community, with support from Al Gore’s Generation Investment Management. The Initiative convenes global leaders in manufacturing to accelerate key actionable solutions, 4IR technology innovation and incubate new partnerships to cut global carbon emissions in the sector by 50% by 2030.

The Initiative aims to unlock, speed and amplify leading solutions focusing on two (2) main priority areas:

• Establish and activate a foundation for change through unlocking key actions and enablers to decarbonize the manufacturing sector over the next decade


• Scale and distil industry use cases leading the transition towards a carbon neutral future of manufacturing


• Incubate and launch new public-private sector collaborations to amplify solutions, drive new gains and identify new areas of impact

Join a global coalition of leaders in manufacturing driving change and learn more about this Initiative and how your company or organization can get involved. Please reach out to: beatriz.fernandez@weforum.org