The expanding push to curb industrial emissions
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
A new advocacy group staffed with climate movement vets just launched with a laser focus on big U.S. industrial sources — think metals, cement, chemicals, paper mills and more.
Driving the news: Industrious Labs intends to work with "labor, impacted communities, elected officials and industry to find solutions."
The big picture: Its work will span campaigns, research and analysis, supporting other groups working on industrial decarbonization and communications.
- Industrious Labs has a $3 million 2022 budget raised from climate foundations and other groups, organizers say, and 12 staff members.
- The goal is to revitalize these sectors with cleaner tech to create jobs. The launch follows months of quiet organizing, such as creating a network with other green groups focused on aluminum.
Why it matters: Heavy industry's impact doesn't get the attention of power plants and tailpipes, but it's a huge chunk of U.S. and global emissions.
- This graphic below about U.S. emissions adapted from analysis by Rhodium Group, a climate research firm, shows why tackling industrial sources is such a big deal.
Zoom in: Three co-founders and partners — Victoria Chu, Nachy Kanfer and Evan Gillespie — once worked for the Sierra Club's "Beyond Coal" initiative.
- The group is also out with an interactive map of U.S. plants and emissions.
What they're saying: Chu said data "accessibility and actionability" is vital.
- "That data — most critically the emissions and who is harmed — is often proprietary or hidden behind paywalls and technical jargon," she said in a statement.
