Encourage all new industrial facilities and public buildings to be net zero ready

Policymakers can also encourage all new industrial facilities to be net-zero-ready by enforcing efficiency standards and regulations that require companies to plan for future decarbonization efforts. Given that many industrial assets often last for over 50 years, governments should ensure that the new factories built today are capable of deploying net-zero technologies with minimal disruption in the future. For example, new gas-based furnaces must be built to allow an easy switch to cleaner fuels such as hydrogen or biogas. Similarly, new industrial facilities must plan for sufficient space and infrastructure to install CCUS or hydrogen equipment in the future. Since many industrial processes could be electrified, grid operators should also consider a potential future increase in electricity demand and peak load when planning transmission and distribution cables and substations.