Decarbonising industry

Emissions baseline

Industry is a significant contributor to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in Bradford, accounting for around 18% of the total. However, when excluding F-Gases, the figure is reduced to around 16% which is close to the national (England) average of around 15%. Industrial emissions are location specific and expected to be higher than average in Bradford due to the large number of manufacturing businesses.

Decarbonising industry

Bradford is home to over 16,000 businesses with a combined turnover of £35 billion. There are over 1,200 manufacturing businesses employing 24,000 people, providing 12% of all jobs in the district, compared to less than 8% in the UK, making Bradford the 4th leading city in the UK for manufacturing employment.

Manufacturing has been core to Bradford’s success over centuries but faces rising energy costs which could potentially threaten operations and future investment. Industry makes up 18% of total emissions in the Bradford District, and most of these emissions come from fossil-fuel generated heat used in manufacturing. Industrial decarbonisation offers a transformational opportunity which would yield long-term operational cost savings and secure competitive advantage for manufacturing businesses.

As a sector, industrial decarbonisation is challenging, however, having secured funding of almost £1million in 2024, Bradford Council has successfully led the formation and development of Bradford Manufacturing Futures (BMF) and appointed consultants to develop a district-wide industrial decarbonisation roadmap.