Vattenfall - Abatement potential by region

Abatement potential by region

The analysis and mapping of abatement potential has been made from a sectorial perspective, but the findings can also be presented by six different regions:

North America (USA + Canada), Europe OECD, Other industrials, Transition economies, China, and Rest of the World.

These definitions largely follow the ones often used by the International Energy Agency (IEA), although some adjustments have been made.

Today

Currently the total emissions of greenhouse gases are approximately 40 Gt CO₂e per year. The industrialized world, including transition economies, is responsible for about 45% of these emissions, China a little less than 15% and the Rest of the World for about 40%. The type of emissions varies greatly between regions. In the industrialized world the majority of the emissions come from the power sector, industries and transport, while agriculture and forestry are important in the developing world.

By 2030

In the business-as-usual scenario emissions are expected to grow with about 50% to close to 60 Gt CO₂e per year. Abatement potentials in 2030 of more than 26 Gt CO₂e have been identified, implying that emissions could be limited to somewhat more than 30 Gt CO₂e in 2030. The average cost of abatement varies somewhat between regions. The lowest average cost in 2030 is actually found in the industrialized world. This is driven by low, or even negative, cost abatement opportunities within transport and buildings. The majority of this potential is found in the industrialized world holding down the average cost across sectors.