The American Materials Manufacturing Alliance (AMMA), a group of energy-intensive, trade-exposed industries (EITEs) that includes The Aluminum Association, the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), and Portland Cement Association (PCA) today reported that between 1990 and 2008, industrials was the only sector of the U.S. economy in which greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions fell.  By contrast, during the same time period, GHG emissions rose in the commercial, electricity, residential, transportation and agricultural sectors.  Last week the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. industrial GHG emissions fell more than three percent in 2009 – an "unprecedented" reduction for the industrial sector for a single year.

Driven largely by energy efficiency improvements, US industrial GHG emissions fell 5.9 per cent between 1990 and 2008. Meanwhile, commercial GHG emissions went up 36.9 per cent, electricity increased 30 per cent, residential increased 27.3 per cent, transportation increased 21.6 per cent and agriculture increased 11.3 per cent.  (US Energy Information Administration, "Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the U.S., 2008.")

"We’re proud of the industrial sector’s proven record of enhancing energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions, and we’re committed to further improvement," said Cal Dooley, ACC president and CEO.