Swiss Greenhouse Gas Abatement Cost Curve
Switzerland has a significant potential to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by increasing its CO2 efficiency and saving money at the same time over the life cycle. This is an opportunity for many companies to develop innovative technologies and services not only for Switzerland but also as an export competence.
Due to emission-free electricity production and substantial import of energy-intensive goods the emissions of Switzerland are low with respect to other industrialized countries (about 7.2 tonnes of CO2equiv per person per year). Despite this there are many areas where substantial greenhouse gas emission reductions can be achieved, especially in the building and transport sector.
The report estimates the reduction potential for an oil price of $52 per barrel. If the maximal price per ton of avoided CO2 must stay below 100 euro, then a reduction of the Swiss emissions by 43% is achievable by 2030 with respect to 2005. The majority of these reductions stem from optimized buildings (45%), from the transport sector (22%), from power generation (16%) and from the industry (11%). For a substantial share of this reduction (8.3 of 20.9 Mio tonnes) one would gain over the life time from an up front investment.
With an oil price of $100 per barrel the amount of avoided CO2 with a gain over the life time more than doubles from 8.3 s to 19.6 Mio tonnes of CO2equiv. The overall cost to reduce CO2 by 45% would amount to about 38 billion Swiss Francs.
Emission reduction potential for the entire world
McKinsey&Partners made a similar study for the entire world
"Pathways to a low-carbon economy- Version 2 of the global greenhouse gas abatement cost curve" , January 2009.
A growing number of countries have commissioned similar reports from McKinsey. They can be
downloaded electronically .
Fonte: McKinsey & Company, Reto Bättig, Marco Ziegler, Zürich, 2009