Ceramics are used in many critical roles and applications across society.

Their manufacture is one of, if not perhaps the hardest of industry processes to decarbonise, with the sector facing unique challenges against a backdrop of uncertainties in key areas outside its control. Nevertheless, ceramic producers’ continued investment and ongoing research into decarbonisation is testament to the industry’s commitment in tackling climate change and to a sustainable future.

The Sector’s Decarbonisation Roadmap, developed with close engagement of companies across the UK ceramics industry, demonstrates our ambitious vision for accelerating the roll-out of decarbonisation technologies over the coming decades, and shows:

• WHAT … low-carbon ceramic manufacturing would look like

• HOW … the various, contingent, enabling mechanisms and limiting factors to be addressed

• WHEN … an indicative timeline of key developments to enable progress

• WHY … as well as decarbonising production, the case for further support in enabling the global net zero transition, and importance to society as a whole.

The Roadmap is an illustration of the UK ceramic sector’s maximum potential emissions reductions, albeit contingent on a supportive decarbonisation landscape. Deeper decarbonisation of UK ceramic manufacturing requires the urgent development and deployment of a variety of breakthrough technologies (including low-carbon hydrogen, electrification, bio-energy and carbon capture), in locations outside of industrial clusters. It also shows the broad-ranging challenges to decarbonising ceramic production; with numerous, dispersed (non-clustered) sites, most of relatively small (and dilute) emissions, diverse products, and a significant proportion of process emissions.

Decarbonising UK Ceramic Manufacturing Roadmap

Technical Appendix

Net Zero Emissions, Not Zero UK Ceramics Industry