Global Efficiency Intelligence

02/11/2026

New report: Net-Zero Roadmap for the ASEAN Steel Industry
Pathways for Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Singapore

The ASEAN-6 steel sector is growing fast. Without a clear plan, emissions will rise for decades. This report by Global Efficiency Intelligence lays out country-specific pathways to 2060, covering technology choices, energy transitions, policy actions, and investment priorities.

The report includes:
• Current energy use and CO₂ emissions by country
• Four decarbonization scenarios through 2060
• The role of Energy Efficiency, EAF, DRI, green hydrogen, electrification, fuel switching, and CCUS
• Concrete action plans for governments, steel producers, and steel buyers

You can download the full report here:https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/netzero-roadmap-for-the-asean-steel-industry

Thanks to the South East Asia Iron and Steel Institute (SEAISI) for the support and collaboration.

09/17/2025

New Report: The Impact of a US Border Carbon Fee on the Steel Industry and Trade:
An Assessment of the Foreign Pollution Fee Act (FPFA)

What happens when the US puts a carbon fee on imported steel?

Our new study by Global Efficiency Intelligence shows that the proposed Foreign Pollution Fee Act could:

· Cut US steel imports from current suppliers by 17%-42% in 2026 compared to 2024 under different elasticity scenarios.

· Reduce imports from high-emission suppliers like China (-95%), Vietnam (-85%), and -30% to -50% from many other countries under an import demand elasticity of -1.0

· Generate $15–36 billion in cumulative revenue from 2026 to 2030, depending on elasticity scenarios

· Reshape the steel trade by rewarding lower-carbon steel producers

But the policy also raises some tough questions: How will it interact with existing tariffs such as Section 232? Could it disrupt the clean steel trade? And can it align with the EU’s CBAM to avoid trade friction?

Read the full report here:https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/impact-of-a-us-border-carbon-fee-on-the-steel-industry-and-trade

09/09/2025

I am pleased to share our latest report, Leveraging Demand Response to Electrify Heating in the Textile Industry in Southeast Asia.
https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/leveraging-demand-response-to-electrify-heating-in-the-textile-industry-in-southeast-asia

In this study by Global Efficiency Intelligence, we show that pairing electrified heating with demand response (DR) can make textile plants more flexible, reduce costs, and accelerate heating electrification and decarbonization. Notably, DR offers cost benefits comparable to subsidies, making it a powerful policy tool.

Although the analysis focuses on textile facilities in Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, the findings are relevant to other regions as well.

The report covers:

The role of demand response and virtual power plants in managing industrial electricity demand

Textile wet-processing energy needs and opportunities for flexible load management in textile facilities

Current status of DR programs in Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia

Three electrification technologies: electric boilers, thermal oil boilers, and industrial heat pumps

Techno-economic modeling of DR scenarios in textile wet-processing plants

Policy and action recommendations for governments, industry, and utilities

We hope you find this report useful for your work and encourage you to share it with anyone who may be interested in this topic.

Demand Response (DR) and Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) are potentially transformative tools for managing rising industrial electricity demand and integrating renewable energy in Southeast Asia, a region with rapidly growing energy needs and strong decarbonization potential. DR can function either as a...

08/26/2025

New Report: Aluminum Climate Impact 2025

I’m pleased to share our latest publication, "Aluminum Climate Impact 2025 – An International Benchmarking of Energy and CO₂ Intensities."

https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/aluminum-climate-impact-2025-an-international-benchmarking-of-energy-and-co2-intensities

In this report by Global Efficiency Intelligence, we update our previous 2022 study by using 2023 data and new methodological improvements (see page 2 of the report). It provides a clearer and updated benchmarking of the global aluminum industry’s energy use and emissions.

In this report, we include:

- Global aluminum production and trade trends

- Benchmarking of energy and CO₂ emissions intensities across countries

- Separate analysis of primary vs. secondary aluminum production

- Key factors shaping aluminum sector emissions

- A new version of the Green Primary Aluminum Rating System (v2.0)

You can access the full report here: https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/aluminum-climate-impact-2025-an-international-benchmarking-of-energy-and-co2-intensities

The global aluminum industry is responsible for about 2% of total carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions worldwide. Between 2000 and 2024, global aluminum production more than doubled, driven largely by China, which produced 59% of the world’s aluminum in 2024. Despite some improvements in energy and em...

03/27/2025

New Report:

Today, Global Efficiency Intelligence published a new report titled "China’s Steel Transformation: From Blast Furnaces to Electric Arc Furnaces."

https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/chinas-steel-transformation-from-blast-furnaces-to-electric-arc-furnaces

This transition in the Chinese steel industry could lead to greater annual CO₂ emissions reductions by 2050 than Germany's total annual emissions. With China’s growing scrap supply and evolving policies, this shift is both necessary and achievable.

About the report:

✅ China’s Scrap Steel Supply – Trends, forecasts, and quality challenges.

✅ Emissions Impact – How transitioning to EAF can reduce CO₂ emissions.

✅ Electricity Demand & Grid Readiness – Assessing energy needs for EAF steelmaking.

✅ Economic Feasibility – Cost competitiveness of EAF compared to traditional steelmaking routes.

✅ Optimal Locations for EAF Deployment – Regions in China best suited for adoption.

✅ Policy & Regulatory Frameworks – Recommendations for scaling up EAF production.

Download the full report to find out about our key findings. (An extended executive summary is available in Chinese.)

The iron and steel industry, one of the most energy-intensive sectors globally, contributes over 7% of total greenhouse gas emissions and over 11% of global carbon dioxide emissions, largely due to the use of coal in traditional blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) production.

03/11/2025

New Report: Excited to announce the release of our new report, "Low Carbon Thermal Energy Roadmap for the Textile Industry"
https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/low-carbon-thermal-energy-roadmap-for-textile-industry

Commissioned by the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) and authored by Global Efficiency Intelligence, this first-of-its-kind report outlines actionable strategies to decarbonize thermal energy in textile plants across China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

Key highlights of the report include:
- Baseline data on textile wet-processing facilities in five key countries
- Analysis of electrification technologies, including electric boilers and heat pumps
- Evaluation of alternative fuels like biomass and natural gas
- Cost analysis covering energy costs and levelized cost of heating technologies in each country
- Country-specific techno-economic modeling for steam and thermal oil heating in textile plants
- A first-of-its-kind decision tree to guide textile companies toward low-carbon heating solutions
- Implementation guidelines and financing options for electrification

Read the full report to find out how the textile facilities can transition towards low-carbon heating:https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/low-carbon-thermal-energy-roadmap-for-textile-industry

The textile and apparel industry is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 2% of annual emissions. A major challenge is its reliance on fossil fuel-based thermal energy for process heating, such as steam production and thermal oil heating, which co...

03/04/2025

New Report: The Impact of the EU CBAM on Global Steel Trade – Implications for U.S. Steel Tariffs
https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/the-impact-of-the-eu-cbam-on-global-steel-trade

The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is set to reshape global steel trade, creating new challenges and opportunities for steel producers worldwide. Global Efficiency Intelligence published a report today that analyzes how CBAM will impact steel exports, shift trade flows, and interact with U.S. steel tariffs in the coming years.

Some topics covered in this report are:
🔹 CBAM’s Disruptive Impact – How the EU’s carbon pricing on imported steel will reshape global trade and put pressure on carbon-intensive producers

🔹 Shifts in Steel Trade Flows – Projected reductions in steel exports to the EU and how key suppliers like China, India, South Korea, Turkiye, Vietnam and others will be affected

🔹 U.S. Tariffs vs. CBAM – Why the U.S. Section 232 tariff acts as a barrier against diverted high-carbon steel and how its impact compares to CBAM fees

🔹 Financial Implications – Estimated CBAM costs for importers/exporters under different carbon price scenarios and projected revenue generated from CBAM fees

🔹 Policy & Market Outlook – Expected CBAM revisions, future trade frictions, and upcoming US tariffs

Read the full report for more details https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/the-impact-of-the-eu-cbam-on-global-steel-trade

The global steel industry is at a critical point, facing challenges from China’s steel overcapacity, evolving trade policies, and increasing pressure to decarbonize. As countries introduce mechanisms like the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (EU CBAM), the dynamics of steel tr...

02/21/2025

🚨 New Report🚨
We just published our latest report: "What is Green Aluminum?
Definitions from Standards, Initiatives, and Policies Around the World."
https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/what-is-green-aluminum

Authors: Ali Hasanbeigi, Adam Sibal, Cecilia Springer

The aluminum industry accounted for around 2% of global CO2 emissions.
As more companies and policymakers seek to define "green aluminum," the landscape of standards, initiatives, and policies has become fragmented and complex.

📢 This report by Global Efficiency Intelligence provides the first comprehensive cross-comparison of 19 global standards, protocols, initiatives, and policies aimed at decarbonizing the aluminum industry.

🔍 Some Highlights about the Report:
✅ First-of-its-kind Green Primary Aluminum Rating System – We propose an A-G rating scale based on CO₂ intensity to increase transparency and accountability in aluminum production.

✅ Extensive analysis of major standards, protocols, and initiatives – Covering industry frameworks like ASI, SBTi, First Movers Coalition, and more.

✅ Comparison of national and regional policies – Examining approaches from the U.S., EU, China, Canada, etc.

✅ Insights into Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions – Highlighting the need for harmonization in emissions accounting.

✅ Call for stronger demand-side and financial incentives – To drive adoption of low-carbon aluminum beyond production-focused efforts.

📩 Download the full report here: https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/what-is-green-aluminum

We have also published similar reports on "What is Green Steel?" and "What are Green Cement and Concrete?" in the past two years. You can find them on our website.

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The aluminum industry is one of the most energy- and carbon-intensive industries worldwide. The aluminum industry accounted for around 2% of global CO2 emissions in 2020, of which 81% are from electricity use, compared to 19% from fuel use. Aluminum production also produces direct GHG emissions in t...

01/30/2025

New Tool:
🚀 We Just Launched the Textile Heating Electrification Tool!
https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/textile-heating-electrification-tool

Global Efficiency Intelligence, in collaboration with leading apparel brands like Patagonia, Cotopaxi, New Balance, REI, W. L. Gore & Associates, and L.L.Bean, developed this open-source tool through Outdoor Industry Association's Clean Heat CoLab to help textile manufacturers around the world decarbonize their heating processes.

🔧 Key Features for the Tool:
- Energy & Emissions Savings: Assess the CO2 and energy benefits of switching to electric heating technologies such as heat pumps, electric steam boilers, and electric thermal oil boilers in a textile facility.

- Economic Insights: Caluclates energy costs per kilogram of fabric, Levelized cost of heat, and payback periods for electric heating technologies.

- Country-Specific Data: Preloaded metrics for 10 key textile-producing countries, including grid emissions factors and energy prices. The tool can be used in any country.

- Scenario Analysis: Explore renewable energy impacts and decarbonization scenarios.

- Implementation Guidance: Step-by-step action plans and databases of industrial heat pump and electric boiler manufacturers in different countries.

This tool empowers textile companies to make informed investment decisions and transition to clean heating technologies aligned with climate goals.

👉 Download the tool: Available in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Thai.
https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/textile-heating-electrification-tool

This tool was developed with support from Patagonia, Cotopaxi, New Balance, REI, W.L. Gore, L.L. Bean, and the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA). We are grateful for their support and visionary leadership in demonstrating that both small and large brands can join in such a collaborative effort to d...

01/21/2025

New Report: Steel and Coal

I am excited to announce the publication of our latest report, “Steel and Coal: Global, Country-, and Company-Level Analysis of Coal Consumption in the Steel Industry.”

This study by Global Efficiency Intelligence dives into coal use in steel production, offering insights into the industry's significant reliance on different types of coal and the urgent need to transition to low-carbon technologies.

· The steel industry consumed 14% of global coal in 2022, with 755 Mt of coking coal and 389 Mt of thermal coal, primarily used in BF-BOF steelmaking.

· China led global coal consumption in steelmaking in 2022, using 508 Mt of coking coal and 221 Mt of thermal coal, followed by India, Japan, and South Korea.

· In 2023, China Baowu Group alone consumed around 68 Mt of coking coal and 30 Mt of thermal coal. ArcelorMittal consumed around 25 Mt of coking coal and 10 Mt of thermal coal in 2023. We have analyzed six major steelmaking companies.

· We provide an analysis of coal use in a typical BF-BOF, scrap-EAF, and coal-based DRI steel plant.

· In this report, we also provide a description of different types of coal used in the steel industry to clarify the taxonomy.

Deeper insights into the steel-coal linkage are essential for developing effective decarbonization strategies.

This report by Global Efficiency Intelligence presents an analysis of coal consumption in the global steel industry, focusing on the usage of coking coal and thermal coal across main steel production routes, major steel-producing countries, and leading steel manufacturing companies. Our findings sho...

01/08/2025

New Report: I’m excited to announce that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has published our new report, “A Roadmap Framework for Industrial Decarbonization in Latin America and the Caribbean,” by Global Efficiency Intelligence.

In this report, we:
- Explores Latin America and the Caribbean's industrial energy use and emissions landscape.
- Presents a robust framework for sector-specific decarbonization roadmaps.
- Focuses on key subsectors of this region: food & beverages, iron & steel, and cement.
- Highlights five key decarbonization pillars and strategies.

The conceptual framework for developing sector-specific industrial decarbonization roadmaps that we developed in this report is modular and universally structured so it can be adapted to a variety of industrial subsectors and countries.

This report carried out by Global Efficiency Intelligence and was commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank looks into the intricate landscape of industrial energy use and emissions in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region while navigating through potential avenues for decarboni...

08/28/2024

New Report: Low-Carbon Thermal Energy Technologies for the Textile Industry

We are excited to announce the publication of our new report.

https://www.globalefficiencyintel.com/lowcarbon-thermal-energy-technologies-for-the-textile-industry

The report was commissioned by Apparel Impact Institute and authored by Global Efficiency Intelligence.

The textile industry accounts for over 2% of global GHG emissions. With production rates increasing in many countries, there is a need to adopt cleaner, more efficient, and low-carbon technologies to mitigate climate impacts.

This report focuses on the feasibility, challenges, and potential of transitioning to low-carbon heating technologies in the textile industry, assessing solar thermal; electrification (including electric boilers, heat pumps, and thermal energy storage); and sustainable biomass.

The report explores the readiness of 20 major textile-producing countries to adopt these low-carbon energy sources and technologies. It provides a detailed evaluation of each technology, focusing on capital and operational costs, technological maturity, market growth outlook, and climate and environmental risks.

We also present recommendations to guide stakeholders through the complexities and nuances of decarbonizing the textile industry, helping textile and apparel companies significantly reduce their carbon footprint and remain competitive in the increasingly climate-conscious market.

This is the first of a two-report series. Our next report, to be published in November 2024, will provide a detailed Low Carbon Thermal Energy Roadmap for the Textile Industry in five major textile-producing countries. Stay tuned!

The textile and apparel industry generates approximately 2% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The demand for textiles and apparel is expected to grow, highlighting an urgent need for strategies to mitigate the industry’s environmental and climate impacts.