‘Hard-to-abate’ is an ill-defined but widely applied term. Industry members often describe their sector as hard-to-abate to argue against having to reduce emissions quickly, or to justify continued faith in carbon capture utilisation/storage breakthroughs, or using offsets to meet climate goals.

Sectors described as hard-to-abate include cement, iron and steel, fertilisers, petrochemicals, aviation and shipping. These collectively generate about 21-25% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The iron, steel and cement sectors provide valuable case studies of how the ‘hard-to-abate’ label has shaped both policy and industrial actions, in ways that risk undermining the urgency and effectiveness of global climate mitigation efforts.

The evidence presented in this report demonstrates that their decarbonisation is not only possible but highly achievable with existing and emerging technologies – especially when guided by integrated, whole-of-system approaches and supported by robust policy frameworks. It finds that while there is no single pathway to decarbonising the iron and steel and cement sectors, the continued framing of these sectors as inherently hard to abate is both scientifically inaccurate and politically counterproductive.