The race to decarbonise our energy-intensive industries no longer a distant goal—it’s a business imperative. The UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) released its seventh Carbon Budget on 26 February 2025, setting the UK’s economy a goal of an 87% reduction in emissions by 2040 – essential to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. This isn’t just a regulatory hurdle; it’s an opportunity for industry leaders to rethink and reshape their approach to sustainability. Companies that fail to act risk falling behind. Those that embrace change can lead the future.
Industry must play its part in decarbonising the economy, and the CCC highlighted in its latest report the priority to tackle industrial heat processes saying:
By 2040, our Balanced Pathway sees electricity meet 61% of industrial energy demand, up from around 26% today. The major sources of heat in industry are replaced with electric options including electric boilers, electric ovens, electric furnaces in the glass sector, and, most significantly, electric heat pumps. Electrifying industry allows UK manufacturers to benefit from global demand for low-carbon goods.
Climate Change Committee
Bodycote, as the world’s leading provider of heat treatment and thermal processing services, is stepping up to the challenge. Heat treatment is traditionally an energy-intensive process, and as such, it presents both a challenge and an opportunity for emissions reduction.
“As businesses worldwide strive to meet increasingly stringent climate targets, Bodycote is demonstrating that sustainability and operational excellence go hand in hand,” says Lily Heinemann, Chief Sustainability Officer. “By taking decisive action today, we are ensuring a cleaner, more efficient, and more competitive future for the industries we serve.”
Bodycote is proving that sustainable transformation is possible whilst delivering high quality and performance for our customers. Our transition from gas-powered furnaces to low-carbon electricity is not just about compliance—it’s about future-proofing manufacturing. And by switching to more renewable energy sources, we are cutting both our carbon footprint, and those of our customers. We have recently installed 0.9MWe of solar panels to our heat treatment facilty in Wuxi, China, delivering 556 tonnes of carbon savings each year.
The advantages extend beyond our operations. Many manufacturers still use in-house heat treatment, which is often inefficient, expensive, and reliant on outdated technology. By outsourcing heat treatment and thermal processing to Bodycote, companies can significantly lower their overall emissions, reduce energy waste, and enhance efficiency—allowing them to focus on core business priorities while improving their sustainability credentials.
Our commitment doesn’t stop there. Bodycote has set a goal to reduce its carbon emissions by 46% by 2030, working with the Science-Based Target Initiative (SBTi), reinforcing our ambition to lead the industrial sector towards a sustainable future. Setting this ambitious goal with the SBTi ensures our progress is measurable and aligned with global climate commitments. These targets reinforce our dedication to the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Through continued investment in energy-efficient solutions, process optimisation, and the adoption of renewable electricity, we are shaping the future of sustainable manufacturing.
At Bodycote, we are not just following the roadmap—we are helping to create it. The transition to a low-carbon future isn’t just a challenge; it’s an opportunity to redefine industrial processes, drive innovation, and secure long-term business resilience.
The question is no longer if companies should transition—it’s about how fast they can afford to move. Learn more about how Bodycote can help your company drive carbon reduction.