IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-59277-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring techno-economic landscapes of abatement options for hard-to-electrify sectors

Author

Listed:
  • Clara Bachorz

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
    Technische Universität Berlin)

  • Philipp C. Verpoort

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research)

  • Gunnar Luderer

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
    Technische Universität Berlin)

  • Falko Ueckerdt

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research)

Abstract

Approximately 20% of global CO2 emissions originate from sectors often labeled as hard-to-abate, which are challenging or impossible to electrify. Alternative abatement options are necessary for these sectors but face critical bottlenecks, particularly concerning the availability and cost of low-emission hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and non-fossil CO2 for synthetic fuels or carbon-dioxide removal. In this study, we conduct a broad techno-economic analysis, mapping abatement options and hard-to-electrify sectors while addressing associated technological uncertainties. Our findings reveal a diverse mitigation landscape that can be categorized into three tiers, based on the abatement cost and technologies required. By requiring long-term climate neutrality through simple conditions, the mitigation landscape narrows substantially, with single options dominating each sector. This clarity justifies targeted political support for sector-specific abatement options, increasing investment security for transforming hard-to-electrify sectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Clara Bachorz & Philipp C. Verpoort & Gunnar Luderer & Falko Ueckerdt, 2025. "Exploring techno-economic landscapes of abatement options for hard-to-electrify sectors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59277-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59277-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59277-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-59277-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59277-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.