For many of us across the climate movement, industrial decarbonization is an emerging space. There’s so much to learn and understand. The good and bad news is that this sector is no more or less challenging than transforming our power or transportation systems. Creating change requires a crisp understanding of industries like steel or cement. We’re here to help, providing campaign actionable data and analysis that you can use.
Below you will find a sampling of some of the tools our team is building. You can review them here, and if you want, download the data directly and play around with it yourself. We offer all of this to the movement and just ask that as you use our datasets and analysis, please share credit with our team. It takes a lot of work to compile and make sense of the heaps of data out there.
Questions? Want to collaborate? Reach out to contact@industriouslabs.org
Technical Reports
Dirty Steel, Dangerous Air: The Health Harms of Coal-Based Steelmaking
A new report from Industrious Labs offers the first facility-by-facility breakdown of toxic emissions from U.S. coal-based steel and coke plants, exposing the staggering human toll: up to an estimated 892 premature deaths, 250,500 cases of asthma symptoms, and $13.2 billion in health costs every year associated with pollution from just 17 facilities in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, and Virginia.
Cleveland Needs Clean Steel
A new report from Industrious Labs finds that Cleveland’s ability to meet recently announced goals in the city’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) depends on transitioning its largest climate polluter, Cleveland-Cliffs’ Cleveland Works steel plant, to clean technology.
The Aluminum Rush: Forecast Demand for a Critical Metal
By 2035, United States demand for primary aluminum is anticipated to increase by as much as 40%. This report addresses fundamental questions that will determine the future of U.S. aluminum supply.
Unlocking Industrial Electrification in California
This report focuses on one factor that can unlock the potential of industrial electrification to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and public health, and drive down overall electricity system costs: access to affordable electricity.
Data Dashboards
South Coast 1146/1146.1 Permit Explorer
The Socal Clean Manufacturing Coalition Boiler Permit Dashboard is an interactive tool designed to enable community members, advocates, agency staff and decision makers access to data on the commercial and industrial boilers within the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Industrial Facilities Tracking Tool 3.0
This tool aggregates complex data from a range of open sources (including EPA’s GHGRP, EPA National Emissions Inventory, and EPA EJ Screen 2023) to tell a story about industry from individual facilities to individual sectors and the country overall.
Interactive Web Applications
Industrial Equity Mapper
The Industrial Equity Mapper: Stories of Industrial Pollution in the U.S. sits at the intersection of heavy industry and justice in 24 key geographies, delivering concrete data and storytelling to put power back into the hands of everyday people. It analyzes a range of health, demographic, economic, and pollution data with dozens of interviews of industry’s impact on communities.
Industrial Facilities Tracking Tool 3.0
Data Source: EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program 2023 Data, EPA Environmental Justice Screening Tool 2024, EPA Toxics Release Inventory 2024, EPA National Emissions Inventory 2020
Our first (and favorite) tool. The IFTT aggregates complex data from a range of open sources (including EPA’s GHGRP, EPA National Emissions Inventory, and EPA EJ Screen 2023) to tell a story about industry from individual facilities to individual sectors and the country overall. Just updated with 2022 data, today the IFTT provides an overview of the unique complexities of the US Industrial System – with information ranging from greenhouse gas emissions by process and gas, criteria and health-harming pollutants, and pivotal environmental justice analysis. Hover the cursor over individual sites to see all the details at the facility level. You can filter by states and sectors, and our dashboard will adjust to highlight the greenhouse gas emissions. Over time we hope to build more and more into the tool.