Stocktaking of scenarios with negative emission technologies and practices: Documentation of the vision making process and initial NEGEM vision
Negative emission technologies and practices (NETPs) have a significant role in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 1.5°C and 2°C climate change mitigation scenarios, but what is the realistic potential for NETPs when taking into account environmental, social and political constraints?
In this deliverable the preliminary NEGEM vision is presented based on the 1st NEGEM vision workshop and a literature review, which will be used as a starting point for the scenario work in NEGEM, allowing to explore the analysis methods, data and aims of the scenarios.
The initial vision will guide the work carried out by different WPs in NEGEM project is summarized as follows:
| NEGEM should increase the holistic understanding of NETPs, including co-benefits and trade-offs and eventually enlarge the portfolio for NETPs. NEGEM will consider techno-economics and commercialisation pathways, environmental impacts, social aspects and risks in its analysis of “realistic potentials” of NETPs to reach the climate goals of Paris Agreement. NEGEM will make those accountable for decision-making beyond only looking into negative CO2 emission balance accounting. |
The preliminary vision formulated above strongly builds on a promise of neutral scientific results that NEGEM as a research project delivers. This approach makes it possible to a significant extent meet the identified criteria for the vision: wide acceptability among stakeholders; inclusion of concrete, evidence-based information on the role of NETPs; environmental sustainability; instrumental for European policymaking; and significant contribution in European climate change mitigation efforts.
As described in the full deliverable, the vision will be updated throughout the project lifetime. The next updated vision will be presented in D8.7 and the final NEGEM medium-to-long-term vision will be documented in D8.3.
Policy relevant messages that were revealed as part of the vision workshop and the literature are as follows:
- To reach the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is needed but as a complementary measure to greenhouse gas emission reductions. NEGEM scenarios would consider all the mitigation options to reach the climate targets of the EU and globally.
- Due to urgency of climate change mitigation, fast deployment of NETPs is justified. NETPs can also be seen as a tool to raise the ambition of climate change mitigation. Scenario analysis carried out in NEGEM would consider the alternative levels of ambition in GHG mitigation at the EU and global levels.
- There is lack of knowledge to make definite conclusions on the sustainable potentials of NETPs at the EU and global levels. There are especial concerns on environmental sustainability of NETPs. NEGEM results would support in elaborating sustainable potentials by considering both the demands and sustainable supply of NETPs taken into account the planetary boundaries.
- Based on the 1st vision workshop results, the major barriers for the implementation are the economic performance of NETPs and lack of common EU policy framework. NEGEM would create new and synthesized information on the economic performance, commercialisation pathways and formulate policy recommendations for NETP deployment.
- There is a lack of social awareness and low commitment of people to foster the CDR. NEGEM will investigate the perceived socio-economic potential of NETPs and its social license to operate.
The full deliverable 8.1 can be found and read here.
