Industrial decarbonization addresses two critical goals: (i) reducing carbon emissions to fulfill countries’ Net Zero and other climate commitments and (ii) enhancing firms’ export competitiveness. Given constraints in both fiscal resources and government capacity, it is essential to direct public funds and government efforts toward the most impactful interventions. This study aims to empower policymakers to design targeted decarbonization strategies through rigorous data analysis.

Specifically, this paper:

- Introduces a bottom-up methodology for estimating carbon emissions at the firm level with high granularity.

- Provides insights for policymakers on prioritizing policies that support industrial decarbonization.

- Examines specific sectors to highlight the competitiveness aspect of decarbonization efforts.

- Offers recommendations for effective monitoring of industrial carbon footprints.

Special Guest: Meriem Ait Ali Slimane
Meriem Ait Ali Slimane is a Senior Economist in the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice of the World Bank. She has been leading and contributing to lending operations, technical assistance and analytical projects in the areas of refugees and women economic opportunities, export competitiveness, e-commerce, and business environment reforms, covering the Middle East and North Africa, West Africa, and South Asia. She also co-authored the book Privilege-Resistant Policies in the Middle East and North Africa. Meriem previously worked at UNEP in the Technology, Industry and Economics division, and in the Strategy and Innovation vice presidency of a large telecommunication company, managing the forecasting and analytics team. She has also taught economics at the Institute of Political Sciences in Paris. Meriem holds Master’s Degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School (MPA/ID) and Ecole Centrale de Paris, and an Industrial Engineering Degree from Ecole Nationale Polytechnique in Algeria.