Decarbonization from the ground up: what Local Industrial Decarbonization Plans reveal about place-based approaches to decarbonizing industry in the UK

Energy-intensive industrial sectors such as steel, chemicals and cement are among the highest sources of carbon emissions globally. Production facilities are often concentrated in distinct geographic locations, shaped by historical access to infrastructure, resources and skilled labour. Such spatial concentration poses a challenge for climate policy, requiring a balance between national and international decarbonization frameworks and context-specific, local interventions. This paper explores that dilemma through an analysis of the UK’s Local Industrial Decarbonization Plans (LIDPs) competition (2023–2025), which supported 13 local industrial clusters in developing decarbonization plans. Drawing on stakeholder interviews and project documentation for 12 projects, the study identifies four subtypes of local cluster – bounded, regional, urban and sector-based – each presenting distinct opportunities and challenges. To interpret these findings, we propose a conceptual framework that situates industrial decarbonization at the intersection of Place, Sector and Intervention. Key challenges, such as infrastructure constraints, fragmented data, and difficulties in engagement, reflect misalignments across these domains. Our analysis suggests that while local decarbonization ambition is essential, it is insufficient by itself. National-level infrastructure investment, institutional support and coordinated data strategies remain critical enablers for local industrial decarbonization. Together, the findings underline the need for multi-scalar, integrated approaches to industrial decarbonization policy