Government projections show that UK carbon emissions will significantly exceed legally binding targets for the years 2023 to 2032. To date, government climate policy has focused on emissions from vehicles and heating and powering buildings. But how products are made and consumed has a major impact on their embodied emissions.

This report, based on research carried out by the Centre for Industrial Energy, Materials and Products (CIEMAP) shows that resource efficiency in five key sectors could make a major contribution to meeting future carbon targets.