Guest Essay: Why We Must Focus On Climate-Friendly Manufacturing

By Lori Brennan, The Nature Conservancy-PA & Lorraine Faccenda, LaFarge Whitehall Cement Plant

This guest essay first appeared in The Morning Call, December 9, 2021-- 

With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Innovation and Jobs Act, Congress demonstrated its commitment to renewing American infrastructure and boosted the competitiveness of U.S. factories in a clean energy future.

As it takes up consideration of the Build Back Better Act, Congress should double down on this investment and support cleaner, more climate-friendly manufacturing in Pennsylvania and around the country.

The industrial sector is on track to become the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions within the decade. 

There are simply not as many clean alternatives available today for making products such as steel and cement compared to generating electricity or driving lower-emissions cars.

While industry innovators are already taking steps to turn this challenge into an opportunity, state and federal policies must help accelerate the uptake of new lower-carbon technologies and products, strengthening the manufacturing base in Pennsylvania in the process.

Certainly, there are market incentives for manufacturers to decarbonize — global demand for clean energy and sustainable infrastructure materials is expected to reach $5 trillion per year by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.

Here in Pennsylvania, this transition to clean manufacturing is underway. 

The Lafarge Whitehall cement plant — one of the oldest continuously operating cement producing sites in the United States — has taken steps to produce products more efficiently and with increased amounts of alternative, low-carbon energy.  [Read more here.]

Manufacturers could make the transition to a low-carbon economy much faster, however, with the support of Congress.

We urge legislators to consider all the levers at their disposal, including government procurement, research and development funding, tax credits and an economy-wide price on carbon.

The recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure bill made some strong progress on this already. It funds research and development and provides financial support that will help expand the low-carbon tools in manufacturers’ toolbox. 

For example, the legislation invests over $8 billion for clean hydrogen and billions to support carbon capture, utilization and storage, both of which could help industrial complexes run with less pollution.

Now, the Build Back Better Act can do even more. It is still taking shape and may include additional support to help American manufacturers produce the cleanest building materials on the market.

To build upon the foundation laid in the infrastructure bill, the final version of the Build Back Better Act should include:

-- Tax credits, grants and rebates for manufacturing facilities that produce low-carbon products, improve energy efficiency, or make the switch to alternative, lower-emissions processes;

-- Significant funding for government procurement that would enable federally funded building and transportation infrastructure projects to purchase low-carbon concrete, cement, steel, aluminum and glass;

-- Financial and technical assistance to improve data collection and transparency in reporting the greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing a range of industrial products; and

-- A price on carbon applied across all sectors that would further encourage manufacturers to adopt next-generation technologies and create a market for low-carbon industrial goods.

These policies are not just good for our state’s economy and competitiveness. 

They’re also good for our environment and safety, helping address climate change and avoiding its worst impacts — something people across our state are eager to do.

Pennsylvanians recognize that urgent action is needed now. 

In a recent survey commissioned by The Nature Conservancy, more than six-in-10 Pennsylvania voters wanted to see bold action on climate change, even if it requires federal spending in the short-term.

Together, these two bills would help tackle the climate crisis while supporting good jobs and strengthening our manufacturing base. 

The incentives and investments will help usher in the next generation of low-carbon manufacturing technologies, facilities and industrial products.

That’s an investment not just in a critical pillar of the Pennsylvania economy, but in a cleaner, safer future for us all.

(Photos: Lori Brennan & Lorraine Faccenda.)

Lori Brennan is executive director of The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Lorraine Faccenda is plant manager at the Lafarge Whitehall Cement Plant.

NewsClips:

-- PA Cap-Star: Multiple Efforts Continue In The General Assembly To Block DEP’s Regulation Reducing Carbon Pollution From Power Plants 

-- BCTV.org: Pennsylvanians Make Their Voices Heard At EPA Oil & Gas Methane Rule Hearing

-- TribLive: CNX Drilling Calls Wind, Solar Energy “Make-Believe”; Proposes Revamp Of Act 13 Impact Fees To Allow More Natural Gas Production While Raising More Money 

-- PG - Anya Litvak: 2 Pittsburgh CEOs Make Very Different Pitches For Why The World Needs More Natural Gas

Related Articles:

-- Guest Essay: COP26 Shines A Light On The End Of Fossil Fuels - By Dr. Keith E. Peterman, York College

-- DEP Blog: Pennsylvania Has A Strong Climate Action Plan, And We Need To Use It Now

-- Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Allowance Prices Jump To $13 From $9.30 In September  

[Posted: December 9, 2021]  PA Environment Digest