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China is, without a doubt, leading global efforts to slash emissions from dirty industries, with more than 200 projects in the pipeline for producing lower-carbon chemicals, fuels, and building materials.
But the United States and dozens of other countries are still making progress on that front. Over 1,000 commercial-scale clean industrial plants — totaling roughly $2 trillion in investment — are in development or are operating globally, according to a new report from the Industrial Transition Accelerator and Mission Possible Partnership.
“There’s an opportunity for everyone in this clean industrial revolution in the making,” said Faustine Delasalle, who is both CEO of MPP and executive director of ITA.
MPP is an alliance of global climate and business groups. In 2023, the organization and its partners launched ITA at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai to advocate for increased investment in decarbonizing six key sectors: aluminum, aviation, cement, chemicals, shipping, and steel. Together, they represent roughly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
This week, ahead of the COP30 summit in Brazil, the groups released the latest data, which includes about 300 more facilities than 2024’s report.
To date, only about 8% of the total projects are operational. Another 6% have reached a final investment decision — meaning they’ve secured all the necessary financing and approvals to start construction — while 7% appear “poised” to do so soon. The remaining 787 projects, or nearly 80%, have been announced but need to clear certain financial, technical, or regulatory hurdles before developers can break ground.
Delasalle said the pace at which these low-carbon facilities are coming online is still far too slow to meet global timelines for reining in planet-warming pollution. The on-again, off-again nature of national climate policy — see: the United States — and uncertain demand for cleaner fuels and metals make it challenging for developers to finance and build large, capital-intensive facilities.
Still, Delasalle said she expects the project pipeline to accelerate in the near term, particularly as other countries see China pull ahead in the race to clean up heavy industries. The country’s massive renewable-energy build-out and proactive industrial policies — including for green hydrogen — are fueling China’s early-mover advantage. Public disclosures of China’s projects are often hard to find, meaning the project-tracker report likely underestimates actual progress, according to its authors.
“There’s a growing realization that this is the direction of travel for industry, and that companies and the countries that do move will build their competitive edge,” Delasalle said. “And they are starting to do so.”
A clarification was made on Nov. 7, 2025: This story has been updated to clarify the breakdown of clean industrial projects that have reached a final investment decision versus those that are poised to reach that stage.
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