Electrification and decarbonization: a critical review of interconnected sectors, policies, and sustainable development goals

Climate actions (SDG-13) aim at limiting global warming by targeting carbon emissions reduction. With the energy industry recognized as a significant CO₂ emitter, SDG-13 policies mostly translate energy transition to renewables (SDG-7) and the electrification of end-users, both energy-demanding sectors and society (cities, households, and mobility). The double-layered actions parallel the classical “cascade control” employed in industrial sectors. For achieving deep decarbonization, the ambitious net-zero emissions (NZE), large-scale deployment of renewables demand storage, with hydrogen as a prominent chemical storage alternative, and carbon capture & storage (CCS) for hard-to-electrify sectors. Infrastructure developments need policy and capital investments, and geopolitics and resource availability challenge and offer opportunities. Since decarbonization and electrification have multiple realization paths and impact the industrial metabolism, SDGs are interconnected with synergies and trade-offs. Prioritization of SDGs by policymakers is necessary for resilience and robustness in achieving climate goals within a systems dynamics approach. This critical review identifies niches in decarbonization and electrification, enlightening the industrial metabolism under the lens of SDGs.