Carbon abatement cost debate evolves
Previous analysis tended to neglect cross-measure interactions and simplify diminishing marginal returns
Traditional carbon abatement cost curves may be out of date as the energy transition gathers momentum and distributes cost-savings across a broader range of infrastructure and devices, according to a new report for non-governmental organisation the Environmental Defense Fund. Abatement curves that take into account interactions with the wider energy system—rather than seeing each decarbonisation task as its own standalone project—are becoming more widespread. “Traditional [marginal abatement] curves assess one measure (e.g. solar photovoltaic: PV) and deploy its full potential before moving on to the next measure,” says the report, titled Marginal abatement cost curves for US net-zero energy

Also in this section
3 July 2025
European Commission introduces new flexibilities for member states to ease compliance with headline goal
1 July 2025
Supportive government policy, deforestation threat and economic opportunity drive forward the region’s monetisation of forest carbon
27 June 2025
TotalEnergies’ delayed FID for its Venus project will likely set back first oil, but Windhoek has other irons in the fire
26 June 2025
Last year was one of records for renewables but also for oil, gas and coal, as the energy transition progresses in an increasingly uneven way, according to the Energy Institute’s latest annual report