Residual Emissions
Emissions that remain after all feasible efforts to reduce them have been made.
What are Residual Emissions?
Residual emissions, also known as 'hard-to-abate' or 'unavoidable' emissions, are the greenhouse gas emissions that remain in the atmosphere even after significant efforts have been made to reduce them through technological advancements, efficiency improvements, and behavioral changes. These are typically from sectors where decarbonization is currently technically or economically challenging, such as certain industrial processes (e.g., cement, steel), aviation, or agriculture.
Why are Residual Emissions important?
Residual emissions are important because they are the reason why carbon removal is necessary to achieve net-zero targets. Since it's unrealistic to eliminate all emissions, these remaining emissions must be balanced by an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere to achieve a net-zero state and stabilize the climate.
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Frequently asked questions
In many sectors, completely eliminating residual emissions with current technology is extremely difficult or impossible. Therefore, carbon removal plays a crucial role in balancing these emissions.
Sectors like heavy industry (steel, cement, chemicals), long-haul transport (aviation, shipping), and agriculture are often cited as having significant residual emissions due to their inherent processes.
For a company to achieve net zero, it must first drastically reduce its emissions across all scopes. Any remaining residual emissions must then be neutralized through high-quality carbon removal activities.