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Identifying Sectors with Hard-to-Abate Emissions
The primary sectors contributing to hard-to-abate emissions include:
- Heavy Industry: Industries like steel and cement production are energy-intensive and rely on processes that emit CO2 as a byproduct. Innovations such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and electrification using renewable energy are being explored, but face significant implementation challenges at scale.
- Transportation: Aviation, shipping, and long-haul trucking currently do not have widely available and economically viable low-carbon fuel options or technologies, making emissions reductions in these areas particularly difficult.
- Agriculture: Certain agricultural practices, particularly those involving livestock and rice cultivation, produce methane and nitrous oxide, for which reduction options are limited and complex.
What is the difference between hard-to-abate emissions, unavoidable emissions, and residual emissions?
- Unavoidable Emissions: While hard-to-abate emissions are often considered alongside unavoidable emissions, hard-to-abate emissions focus on sectors where reductions are difficult but not necessarily impossible with current or near-future technologies. Unavoidable emissions, in contrast, are those that cannot be mitigated with current technology or practices.
- Residual Emissions: Hard-to-abate emissions contribute to a company's or sector's residual emissions—the emissions that remain after all feasible mitigation measures have been implemented. As technologies and practices evolve, what is considered "hard-to-abate" may shift.
Importance in the Net Zero Journey
Identifying hard-to-abate emissions and finding more ways to avoid or reduce them is essential for achieving net-zero emissions globally. While these present significant challenges, focusing on hard-to-abate emissions encourages innovation, investment in new technologies, and the development of comprehensive strategies that include the purchase carbon removal credits in order to meet net zero targets.