Page 42 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2018 publication
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42 Spring 2018 European Energy Innovation
COMMUNICATION
Carbon Farming – a powerful
tool to combat climate change
REACHING THE 1,5-DEGREE TARGET? yet available. For example, ICAO has scenario where the whole world
The conclusion of the Paris Climate agreed upon a carbon neutral growth would suddenly stop emitting
Agreement was an ecstatic moment of global aviation from 2020 onwards. any greenhouse gases into the
for people working against climate However, the practical tools seem atmosphere, the climate change would
change. The agreement was greeted insufficient if not non-existent, only a continue. The simple reason is the
with superlatives and described as a couple of years prior to the paralyzing amount of 100 billion tons
historical breakthrough. Enthusiastic agreement becoming effective. (100.000.000.000 tons) of excessive
work was begun to produce concrete Additional tools are imperative carbon in the atmosphere today. To
proposals for achieving the goals to mitigate the risk of delays and put it in perspective, to biologically
of the agreement. However, many failures in the already selected sequestrate the entire amount
of the measures are uncertain and decarbonization measures. Also, the equals a forest the size of the Sahara.
their net impact is debatable and/ cost of decarbonization needs to be Whatever the world or the EU decides
or materializes too late to enable the considered. Today, the CO2 abatement to do with the continuously growing
world to stay at the 1,5-degree target. cost of using biofuels in road transport GHG emissions, we need to start
For example, the penetration rate of is ca. 150 €/t CO2 in the Nordics. sequestrating the atmospheric CO2,
electrified transport is very slow, and And with electric vehicles the cost immediately and at unprecedented
the net GHG savings are marginal is significantly higher. In light of the speed. We must start paying the global
when measured on well-to-wheel above and numerous other examples Carbon Debt, now. The good news is
basis. Also, the ramp up of significant the Paris agreement target seems to that we already have a well-functioning
advanced biofuels production capacity be escaping us. tool that is globally recognized and
will take place during the next decade, cost effective. It’s about planting
assuming the right policy framework is CARBON DEBT IS ALREADY 100 trees and forests, ie. afforestation or
in place. There are also sectors with no BILLION TONS reforestation. It’s even included in
sufficient CO2 abatement methods as Assuming the totally hypothetical every international climate agreement.
Afforested area in Khemisset, Morocco
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