Leadership group for industry transition
LeadIT – Leadership Group for Industry Transition- was the first high-level initiative to unite governments and companies committed to heavy industry decarbonization. It provides a platform for public-private collaboration, helping industries align with the Paris Agreement and accelerate a just and equitable transition.
The current work of LeadIT 2.0 is organised according to three pillars.
Pillar 1
Providing secure spaces for dialogue between governments and industry, while equipping LeadIT members with insights and know-how.
Pillar 2
Facilitating the formation of business-to-business collaboration to transfer and co-develop clean technologies.
Pillar 3
Supporting emerging economies in accelerating industry transition through coordinated technical and financial partnerships including the India–Sweden Industry Transition Partnership and the Brazil–UK Industry Hub.
Leadership Group for Industry Transition
Originally established to build momentum in industries considered “impossible to abate”, LeadIT has made considerable progress since 2019. At COP28 in Dubai in 2023 a new phase of work was launched with a focus on implementing decarbonization solutions.
October 2025
Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and Volvo Group sign an MoU under LeadIT to support a more sustainable heavy-duty transport ecosystem in India.
September 2025
The Ethiopian government and the Cement Producers Association sign an agreement, supported by LeadIT, to shape the future of low-emissions cement production in the country.
November 2024
LeadIT marks progress in its mission with the launch of a Five-Year Report at the Annual Summit at COP29, bringing together 18 country and 23 company members.
April 2024
At the inaugural meeting in New Delhi of the Industry Transition Partnership, working groups are established to deliver accelerated industry decarbonization in India.
March 2024
The Green Cement Technology Tracker is expanded to include calcined clay kilns, which are used in the production of lower emissions cement.
December 2023
A second phase of work is launched with LeadIT 2.0 and a new India-Sweden Industry Transition Partnership.
July 2023
A new tracker for Green Cement Technology is launched to highlight carbon capture and storage projects globally.
November 2022
COP27 brings new commitments from LeadIT's 18 country and 19 company members, highlighting 2030 as a critical milestone on the path to net-zero emissions.
November 2021
LeadIT member countries and companies at COP26 in Glasgow agree on a joint statement "The Time for Implementation is Here".
April 2021
A new Green Steel Tracker brings transparency to the future of steel production, highlighting projects with the highest ambitions to decarbonize.
March 2021
The Prime Ministers of India and Sweden reaffirm their commitment to LeadIT's vision of low-carbon industry, aligned with the Paris Agreement.
December 2020
Ahead of the Paris Agreement’s fifth anniversary, governments and CEOs at the first LeadIT Summit commit to urgently cut industry emissions.
November 2020
A new Industry Transition Roadmap Tracker brings transparency to the decarbonization plans of different countries and sectors.
September 2019
LeadIT is launched by Sweden and India at the UN Climate Action Summit as the first high-level platform for industry decarbonization.
Our progress, key achievements, and lessons learned over the past years.
Questions answered
LeadIT is a global initiative that unites governments and companies committed to achieving net-zero emissions in the heavy industry sector. It was launched by Sweden and India at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019 and provides a platform for public-private collaboration, helping industries align with the Paris Agreement and accelerate a just and equitable decarbonization of industry.
LeadIT’s mission is to enable a just, inclusive, and equitable industrial transition.
Through partnerships, knowledge sharing, and capacity building, LeadIT helps countries and companies develop low-carbon roadmaps, mobilize green finance, and track progress toward net-zero by 2050.
Heavy industries are highly energy-intensive and a reliance on fossil fuels means they are responsible for nearly 30% of global CO₂ emissions. They are also some of the hardest sectors to decarbonize. LeadIT takes a global focus on these sectors to accelerate the development of scalable solutions, reduce process emissions, and support innovation and technology co-development.
Under LeadIT 2.0, which was launched in 2023 by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, we focus on three strategic pillars:
Global Forum for Just & Equitable Transition - promoting inclusion, capacity building, and shared learning.
Technology Transfer & Co-Development - enabling the exchange of clean industrial technologies.
Industry Transition Partnerships - accelerating action in emerging economies through collaboration and finance.
Through these priorities, we aim to unlock investment, scale clean technologies, and ensure a fair and competitive global transition to net-zero industries.
LeadIT drives climate action in heavy industry through research, tools, and partnerships We bring together governments, companies, and experts to accelerate the shift toward net-zero emissions. Through high-level dialogues, we connect policymakers, industry leaders, and investors to foster collaboration and build bilateral and multilateral partnerships among different stakeholders. LeadIT provides practical tools, such as industry transition roadmaps and progress trackers, we support policy development, capacity building in emerging and developing economies and technology transfer whilst fostering international partnerships that enable investment, innovation, and knowledge sharing.
LeadIT stands out because it works to bridge policy, finance, and industry action by encouraging public–private partnerships at both global and national levels. It promotes knowledge sharing and technology transfer across industries and boundaries. It focuses on a just and equitable transition, ensuring inclusivity and fairness.
Stay connected by following LeadIT on LinkedIn and signing up for our quarterly newsletter. Governments and companies interested in joining LeadIT can contact the Secretariat for more information and/or submit an application form. We also welcome stakeholders to collaborate with us on research, policy dialogues, and pilot projects that support a sustainable industrial future.
The LeadIT Secretariat is responsible for managing the work of the Leadership Group and is hosted by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).
