Open AccessNet‐Zero CO 2 Germany—A Retrospect From the Year 2050
Author(s) -
Mengis Nadine,
Kalhori Aram,
Simon Sonja,
Harpprecht Carina,
Baetcke Lars,
PratsSalvado Enric,
SchmidtHattenberger Cornelia,
Stevenson Angela,
Dold Christian,
Zohbi Juliane,
Borchers Malgorzata,
Thrän Daniela,
Korte Klaas,
Gawel Erik,
Dolch Tobias,
Heß Dominik,
Yeates Christopher,
Thoni Terese,
Markus Till,
Schill Eva,
Xiao Mengzhu,
Köhnke Fiona,
Oschlies Andreas,
Förster Johannes,
Görl Knut,
Dornheim Martin,
Brinkmann Torsten,
Beck Silke,
Bruhn David,
Li Zhan,
Steuri Bettina,
Herbst Michael,
Sachs Torsten,
Monnerie Nathalie,
Pregger Thomas,
Jacob Daniela,
Dittmeyer Roland
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
earth's future
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.641
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2328-4277
DOI - 10.1029/2021ef002324
Subject(s) - electrification , sink (geography) , zero emission , carbon sink , carbon dioxide , environmental science , natural resource economics , energy balance , agriculture , energy carrier , environmental protection , environmental engineering , engineering , renewable energy , chemistry , geography , waste management , climate change , economics , ecology , physics , electricity , thermodynamics , cartography , organic chemistry , archaeology , electrical engineering , biology
Germany 2050: For the first time Germany reached a balance between its sources of anthropogenic CO 2 to the atmosphere and newly created anthropogenic sinks. This backcasting study presents a fictional future in which this goal was achieved by avoiding (∼645 Mt CO 2 ), reducing (∼50 Mt CO 2 ) and removing (∼60 Mt CO 2 ) carbon emissions. This meant substantial transformation of the energy system, increasing energy efficiency, sector coupling, and electrification, energy storage solutions including synthetic energy carriers, sector‐specific solutions for industry, transport, and agriculture, as well as natural‐sink enhancement and technological carbon dioxide options. All of the above was necessary to achieve a net‐zero CO 2 system for Germany by 2050.