[en] Highlights: • The relationship between industrial driving effect and energy intensity is studied. • Panel quantile regression is adopted in the analysis. • The industrial driving effects of various countries are changing over time. • The roles played by countries have different impacts on energy intensity. • Industrial driving effect should be considered for trade policies. As the industrial structure adjusts and driving effects change in different countries, the regional pattern of industrial driving effects is reshaped, and the new pattern is bound to lead to changes in energy consumption. Therefore, this paper uses multiregional input-output analysis, complex network theory, and panel quantile regression model to explore the impact of the topological structure of the global industrial driving network on energy intensity. The empirical results show that China’s ability to drive economic activity is becoming stronger, but its level of dependence is also increasing. The industrial dependence of Russia is also relatively high, but over time it has been gradually decreasing. Countries with high energy intensity should reduce their role in driving others and rely less on external resources. For countries with low energy intensity, they could conduct trade cooperation with more countries, but the driving effect strength with other countries cannot be too high. Understanding the relationship between industrial driving effects and energy intensity is of great significance for the government in the implementation of trade policies and industry policies, which have a large impact on energy intensity.