ETH professor on carbon savings: “Let’s rely on the solutions we already have!”

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>

Every ton of CO₂ emitted means less global warming in the long term. This is because the emitted CO₂ remains in the atmosphere for several hundred to thousands of years. This is why the best solution to the climate crisis is to tackle emissions directly.

Today there is a lot of talk about reforestation or technological options for storing CO₂. But only about 10 percent of current emissions can be offset this way. If we want to reach the net-zero target by 2050 at the latest, current CO₂ emissions must be reduced. This is evidenced by the assessed scenarios in the latest assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Particular attention is paid to areas where infrastructure changes can lead to long-term emissions reductions.

Heating replacement example: Anyone replacing an oil-fired heating system with a heat pump today can now achieve significant annual emissions reductions. By 2050, emissions could be avoided within 25 years.

Example of transport infrastructure: Railway infrastructure should never be left without attention. There should be no perverse incentives for road traffic on routes where rail can or could provide fast and efficient commuter service. And transportation infrastructure funds are better invested in rail and electric buses than in expanding highways, which will lead to even more air and noise pollution.

An example of electromobility: an electric car produces approximately 65 percent less CO₂ emissions over its entire life cycle than a conventional car. Thus, e-cars are a good solution to quickly reduce CO₂ emissions for everyone who depends on a car. But Switzerland lags in expanding its electric mobility infrastructure and is not even in the top 10 countries with the highest percentage of electric vehicles among new vehicles. In Norway, more than 90 percent of new cars are either pure electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids. In Switzerland, the opposite is true: about 70 percent of new cars purchased are petrol and generate additional CO₂ emissions over many years.

Of course, Switzerland is a nation of renters. But the cost of installing charging stations in rental properties is quite reasonable. The charging station costs between 1000 and 3000 francs and can be used for a long time. This is – calculated over 20 years – about 100 francs per car charging station per year or 35 centimes per day. The Swiss population can certainly afford such investments. Ideally, a charging station would be part of the basic infrastructure of a property, just as it is already today with electricity, plumbing or heating.

As a reminder, three quarters of all Swiss emissions are caused by the combustion of petroleum (e.g. gasoline, heating oil). If we reduce these emissions to zero, we will solve three quarters of Switzerland’s climate problem! The climate crisis is an energy crisis, and most solutions already exist. We just have to implement them.

Source: Blick