25/01/2022

In January 2022, International consulting company „McKinsey & Company“ published a study detailing which sector caused more/less carbon footprint and what they could do to reduce it.

Acoording to experts,  this can be achieved only through a universal transformation of energy and land-use systems.  The systems and their emissions footprints are the following: 

• Power: 30 percent of CO2 emissions and 3 percent of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions;
• Industry, consisting of various industrial processes, including production of steel, cement, and chemicals, and extraction and refining of oil, gas, and coal: 30 percent of CO2 emissions, 33 percent of methane emissions, 8 percent of N2O emissions;
• Mobility, consisting of road, aviation, rail, maritime, and other forms of transportation: 19 percent of CO2 emissions and 2 percent of N2O emissions;
• Buildings, including heating and cooking: 6 percent of CO2 emissions;
• Agriculture: 1 percent of CO2 emissions, 38 percent of methane emissions, and 79 percent of N2O emissions;
• Forestry and other land use, primarily land cover change: 14 percent of CO2 emissions, 5 percent of methane emissions, and 5 percent of N2O emissions;
• Waste: 23 percent of methane emissions and 3 percent of N2O emissions.

Carbon dioxide in each case is emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels to produce energy (oil, gas, and coal), as well as through non-energy emissions (for example, emissions associated with industrial processes like the reduction of iron ore to produce steel and with deforestation). Based on current accounting methodologies, energy-related emissions make up as much as 83 percent of CO2 emissions (exhibit).

Effective decarburization actions include shifting the energy mix away from fossil fuels and toward zero-emissions electricity and other low-emissions energy carriers such as hydrogen; adapting industrial and agricultural processes; increasing energy efficiency and managing demand for energy; utilizing the circular economy and etc.

To achieve zero carbon emissions, everyone in this system will need to undergo transformation. Every country and industry is responsible on its own carbon footprint. These systems are highly interdependent; to reduce emissions we need to develop comprehensive and unified strategy.

Please, feel free to read more about this report.