Industrial areas across Europe could make big strides in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions thanks to the latest expert advice on how to transform into ‘ecoregions’ – an energy sharing partnership that unites the needs of different sectors and municipalities. European industries accounts for 25% of all energy demand and 50% of the total cooling and heating demand on the continent – with the bulk of this power coming from fossil fuels. However, this huge carbon footprint could soon be slashed if more manufacturing hotspots become ecoregions. “Waste [energy] from one company can be a useful asset for someone else,” says Sergio Pinotti from Spinergy SRL, an energy efficiency expert working on an ecoregion in Bergamo, Italy.