All terms

Negative Emissions

Removing more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than are emitted.

What are Negative Emissions?

Negative emissions refer to the process of actively removing more greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, from the atmosphere than are simultaneously emitted into it. This results in a net decrease in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.

Why are Negative Emissions important?

Negative emissions are increasingly seen as a critical component of climate change mitigation strategies. While reducing emissions is paramount, the IPCC models suggest that achieving ambitious climate targets like limiting warming to 1.5°C will likely require significant amounts of negative emissions to compensate for past and hard-to-abate present emissions.

Related terms

Want to explore this topic further? Browse connected glossary terms below.

Carbon removal

Carbon removal refers to processes that actively take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it for the long term.

Core definitions
Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)

A broad term for methods that remove CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Core definitions
Net Zero

Achieving a balance between anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and removals.

Core definitions

Frequently asked questions

How do negative emissions differ from net zero?

Negative emissions imply a net *reduction* in atmospheric GHG concentrations, meaning more is removed than emitted. Net zero means emissions and removals are *balanced*.

What are some methods to achieve negative emissions?

Methods to achieve negative emissions include large-scale deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies like direct air capture (DAC), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), enhanced weathering, and nature-based solutions like large-scale afforestation and reforestation.

Are negative emissions a substitute for emissions reduction?

No, negative emissions are not a substitute for ambitious emissions reductions. They are considered complementary tools, necessary to address historical emissions and hard-to-abate sectors, but deep decarbonization remains the primary climate action.