• Industrial process heat generates roughly 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet remains one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise.
  • The Clean Heat Program aims to move companies beyond assessment toward implementation through supply chain data, technical support, and financing pathways.
  • The initiative links climate goals with energy security, helping firms reduce exposure to fossil fuel volatility while meeting investor and regulatory expectations.

AstraZeneca, supply chain intelligence platform Secaro, and sustainability consultancy ERM have launched a new initiative designed to accelerate decarbonisation of industrial heat across global supply chains, a major but often overlooked contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

The Clean Heat Program aims to address what the partners describe as a “strategic risk” for businesses: the continued reliance on fossil fuels to generate industrial heat for manufacturing and processing.

Industrial process heat accounts for roughly 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually. Despite growing corporate commitments to net-zero targets, decarbonising heat remains technically complex and financially challenging for many industries.

The program is intended to help companies and their suppliers identify practical pathways to reduce emissions while strengthening energy resilience. The initiative will combine supply chain intelligence, technical analysis and financing solutions to support companies moving beyond early-stage assessments into project deployment.

Climate Targets Expose A Hard-To-Abate Challenge

Corporate climate commitments have surged in recent years. Around 65% of companies now report having established net-zero targets, while adoption of Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) frameworks increased by 14% last year.

Yet industrial heat remains a difficult frontier in corporate decarbonisation strategies.

Unlike electricity, which can be increasingly sourced from renewable generation, industrial heat often relies on high-temperature processes powered by natural gas or other fossil fuels. Alternatives such as electrification, hydrogen or biomethane require significant infrastructure investment and operational adjustments.

Emily Prior, chief growth officer at Secaro, said companies must start viewing heat decarbonisation as a strategic business issue rather than a purely environmental one. “Decarbonising heat is now business critical,” commented Emily Prior, chief growth officer at Secaro, a supply chain intelligence programme. “It is an essential way to protect revenue, reduce exposure to energy price shocks, and stay ahead of regulation and investor and customer expectations.”

A Supply Chain Approach To Implementation

The Clean Heat Program is structured to help companies assess opportunities across entire supply chains rather than focusing solely on individual facilities.

Participating companies will gain access to supply chain data tools that map heat demand across supplier networks, identify technical options to reduce emissions and develop implementation roadmaps. The partners say the program is designed specifically to address the gap between analysis and execution that has slowed progress on industrial heat projects.

“Many organisations are looking at heat in isolation, comparing the current gas bill to a full switch to biomethane for example,” Prior added. “In order to succeed in decarbonising supply chain heat, businesses need to take a more holistic approach that starts with efficiency, and then moves to decarbonised fuels, so that the economics work. “As part of this program, businesses will have access to a range of financing solutions, including access to the EU-based heat decarbonisation fund and off-balance-sheet financing partners.”

The program will also connect companies with financing options designed to lower the upfront cost barrier that often stalls industrial decarbonisation investments.

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AstraZeneca Joins As Founding Partner

Global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has joined the initiative as a founding partner, committing to collaborate with suppliers, industry peers and buyers to accelerate adoption of low-carbon heat solutions.

For multinational manufacturers, supply chain emissions frequently account for the majority of their carbon footprint. Addressing energy-intensive processes such as industrial heat has therefore become increasingly central to meeting corporate climate targets.

Sustainability consultancy ERM will provide technical expertise to support project development and implementation. The firm will work alongside Secaro’s supply chain data platform to identify viable decarbonisation pathways for participating companies.

Jon Hughes, partner at ERM, said the program aims to help organisations translate strategy into concrete action. “The Clean Heat Program will provide clients with the practical implementation support required to decarbonise industrial heat while strengthening resilience, reducing risk, and unlocking value across the supply chain.”

Strategic Implications For Industry And Investors

Industrial heat is emerging as one of the next major battlegrounds in corporate decarbonisation. While renewable electricity has attracted substantial investment, high-temperature heat used in manufacturing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food processing has proven harder to transition.

Programs that combine data, technical expertise and financing could help unlock projects that have stalled due to cost or complexity.

For corporate leaders and investors, the stakes extend beyond climate commitments. Rising energy price volatility, tightening climate regulations and increasing investor scrutiny are pushing companies to address operational emissions more aggressively.

Initiatives such as the Clean Heat Program reflect a growing recognition that decarbonisation strategies must reach deep into supply chains and industrial processes. For companies operating globally, the ability to transition away from fossil-based heat may increasingly shape both climate performance and long-term competitiveness.

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