Climate-neutral GermanyNegative emissions are necessary to achieve our climate goals
To mitigate the dangers of climate change and secure a liveable future, Germany has set itself the goal of becoming climate neutral by 2045. However, climate neutrality – i.e. net zero emissions – cannot be achieved without negative emissions.
CDR plays a crucial role in all scenarios modelled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It is not enough to drastically reduce emissions – we must also actively remove CO₂ from the atmosphere.
The bathtub analogy
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere is a major contributor to global warming. In the diagram, the water in the bathtub represents the CO₂ in the atmosphere.
The water flowing from the tap into the bathtub represents our CO₂ emissions. The concentration in the atmosphere increases and the water level rises.
To prevent the bathtub from overflowing or, in a figurative sense, global warming from getting out of control, we have to turn off the tap. Turning off the tap therefore represents the reduction of emissions.
Emissions reduction is the biggest lever, i.e. turning off the tap. It cannot be turned off completely, however. Some water will continue to flow into the bathtub. This is referred to as residual emissions, which are difficult to avoid.
And this is where the bathtub drain comes into play: carbon dioxide removal. To ensure that the bathtub does not overflow despite the tap not being turned off, we have to let water out through the drain. Carbon dioxide removal methods allow us to reduce the concentration in the atmosphere and thus curb global warming.
No net zero without negative emissions
To become climate neutral, we must significantly reduce our CO₂ emissions over the years. At the same time, we must remove large amounts of CO₂ from the atmosphere. The diagram illustrates the balance that needs to be achieved. By 2045, the amount of CO₂ emitted (denoted by the brown bars) should be reduced to the amount that is removed from the atmosphere via technical sinks and natural storage such as land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF).
CDR is not an alternative to emissions reduction and is not an excuse to delay the phase-out of fossil fuels. It is an indispensable addition because it is the only way to offset residual emissions that are difficult to avoid (e.g. from aviation).
From 2045 onwards, Germany will still produce residual emissions of at least 37 to 127 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year that cannot be reduced. We only have 20 years to build an industry and infrastructure capable of filtering such quantities of CO₂ from the air using a combination of technical and nature-based solutions. Without these capacities, our goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050 will remain unattainable.
Economic driver for GermanyGermany as a catalyst for a 70 billion euro industry
The German CDR industry could grow to 70 billion euro per year by 2050 and create up to 190,000 jobs.