This paper analyses the driving for the emission reduction performance of industrial wastewater from 2008 to 2017 in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei by utilizing the modified Kaya identity and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method. As a result, we find that industrial water-saving technology and water consumption per unit of industrial GDP are the negative inhibitors of industrial wastewater discharge, while worker productivity and the scale of workers are the positive factors for industrial wastewater discharge. This study also shows that although the performance of industrial wastewater reduction in this area has improved in the last ten years, there is still room for improvement.