The Siemens Infrastructure Transition Monitor, which surveyed 1,400 senior executives, finds that almost two-thirds of industrial leaders (65 per cent) see electrification as the most effective lever to achieve net zero targets, with additional progress already accelerating onsite renewable usage, and decarbonising core operations.
The proportion of organisations that are mature or advanced in onsite renewable energy production has risen to 42 per cent, and in decarbonisation of core operations to 38 per cent – both up from 27 per cent in 2023.
At the same time, demand-side flexibility is gaining traction as a practical way to cut emissions and energy costs by shifting consumption, according to market conditions.
Nearly six in 10 (59 per cent) industrial organisations plan to use their energy assets to benefit from flexibility mechanisms, and 45 per cent say their efforts are already mature or advanced.
Digitalisation is underpinning these advances, with 63 per cent of industrial leaders viewing it as a critical enabler of decarbonisation, particularly through smarter energy management and AI-driven optimisation.
More than half believe better data sharing between energy producers and consumers would improve both efficiency (56 per cent) and resilience (58 per cent) of the overall system.
Yet, to maintain this momentum, companies need a clearer policy environment. Almost two thirds (63 per cent) say policy uncertainty is now a growing threat to the energy transition, 60 per cent report that regulatory uncertainty discourages private sector investment in renewables, and 57 per cent say uncertainty about the future energy system is delaying clean energy investment.
Matthias Rebellius, Managing Board Member of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure, said: “Industrial companies are proving that sustainability and competitiveness can advance together.
“They are investing in electrification, flexibility and digital technologies that deliver results today.
“What they need now is long-term policy clarity and supportive regulations to plan ahead with confidence and accelerate the transition to cleaner, more efficient operations.”