Switzerland's 2050 Emission Cuts Face Challenges in Agriculture, Industry, and Transport
Switzerland aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050 to meet the Paris Agreement targets. While it plans to boost renewable energy, enhance energy efficiency, and electrify transport, certain emissions remain challenging to reduce, particularly in sectors like agriculture, industry, and technology.
In the agricultural sector, methane from cattle farming and nitrogen dioxide are tough to reduce due to their link with food production. Although technologies like improved fertilizers and animal feed can help, complete elimination is complex. Similarly, some industrial processes, such as steel and cement production, generate emissions that are difficult to cut without significantly altering production or adopting costly new technologies. Although electric planes and ships are in development, reducing emissions from air and maritime transport by 2050 will be challenging. The aviation industry is working on CO2-neutral technologies like hydrogen and electric planes, but these are still in their early stages. To offset remaining emissions, Switzerland will rely on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and compensation measures like reforestation and international projects. By 2050, emissions from agriculture, industry, and waste incineration are expected to account for roughly two-thirds of today's levels, around 12 million tons of CO₂ (or CO₂ equivalents) per year.
A consortium led by Empa is exploring solutions for reducing 'hard-to-avoid' emissions over six years. The goal is to shift to vehicles and heating that don't rely on fossil fuels. However, international flights and shipping, not covered by the Paris Agreement, remain a challenge. More than half of Switzerland's CO₂ emissions come from road traffic and building heating. Negative Emissions Technologies (NET), like Direct Air Capture, are designed to extract CO₂ directly from the air, but large-scale deployment is unlikely in the near future due to their energy intensity and cost.
Switzerland's ambitious emission reduction targets face challenges from hard-to-avoid emissions in sectors like agriculture, industry, and technology. While the country plans to boost renewable energy and electrify transport, it will also rely on CCS and compensation measures to meet its 2050 goals. By then, emissions from agriculture, industry, and waste incineration are expected to still account for a significant portion of today's levels.
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