The UC Davis Industry & Materials Decarbonization Symposium, held April 16 at the UC Davis Conference Center, brought together more than 200 leaders from industry, government, utilities, and academia for a full day of discussion on the challenges and opportunities associated with reducing emissions from industrial systems and materials production.
Throughout the day, discussion focused on how decarbonization is being pursued in practice, through industrial energy system improvements, electrified thermal technologies, and approaches to reducing the carbon intensity of materials. This included work on industrial heat pumps and electrified process heat, along with strategies such as reducing clinker content in cement and expanding the use of supplementary cementitious materials. Conversations also pointed to the role of design choices and procurement in shaping material emissions outcomes.
A recurring theme was the gap between technical capability and implementation at scale. Participants highlighted constraints around cost, infrastructure, and material availability, along with the importance of standards and data in enabling broader adoption. The discussion emphasized the need for coordination across supply chains and alignment between policy, market signals, and project delivery to move from demonstration to routine practice.
Presentation materials and recordings from the day are now available.