Biden Initiative Could Curb Harmful Emissions from the Industrial Sector

WASHINGTON, DC -- Yesterday, the Biden administration announced a significant cross-agency initiative to lower industrial carbon emissions, support environmental justice, and create clean manufacturing jobs. This move, if properly implemented, has the potential to curb a major source of climate pollution and reduce toxic industrial emissions that cause disproportionate harm to communities of color near the fencelines of industrial plants.

Industry emits more than 1.5 gigatons of climate pollution every year, making it a leading source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to highly toxic air pollution that causes diseases like cancer and respiratory illnesses. By specializing in cleaner manufacturing, the U.S. has an opportunity to create new manufacturing jobs while supporting cleaner air and climate action. 

Highlights of the announcement include:

• the establishment of a Buy Clean Task Force, co-convened by the Council on Environmental Quality and White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, that will help leverage the federal government’s vast purchasing power to promote lower-emission industrial materials such as steel, cement, and aluminum;

• new Buy Clean efforts by the General Services Administration and the Department of Transportation to utilize low-carbon materials in infrastructure and other construction projects; and

• continuing work with the European Union to develop the nation’s first climate-friendly trade agreement to drive demand for clean steel and aluminum production.

In response, Sierra Club Living Economy Program Director Ben Beachy released the following statement:

“The Sierra Club applauds the Biden administration’s creation of a Buy Clean Task Force to ensure that when the government buys steel and concrete for infrastructure projects, it supports not only new bridges, but also clean air, good manufacturing jobs, and a livable climate. The launch of Buy Clean efforts at the Department of Transportation and General Services Administration is a welcome step to leverage billions of dollars in government contracts to drive demand for clean manufacturing. 

“The Sierra Club also welcomes the advancement of climate-friendly trade policies with the European Union, which could help to spur demand for clean steel and aluminum manufacturing while reversing the outsourcing of pollution and jobs that outdated trade deals have fueled. 

“It’s also critical to ensure that the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce industrial emissions support a swift transition to clean energy. Support for fossil-based hydrogen or CCUS projects that facilitate the expansion of the fossil fuel industry would undercut investments in industrial electrification, energy efficiency, and cleaner industrial processes, which are necessary to advance the administration’s climate, jobs, and justice goals. We urge the Biden administration to direct all funding toward initiatives that slash climate pollution, support workers, and build healthy communities, not those that exacerbate the climate crisis.”