Industrial Removals' Resource Use in the 2040 Climate Target Impact Assessment
- Publication
- Citation
Velten, Eike Karola; Decker, Benedikt; Felthöfer, Charlotte; Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils (2025): Industrial removals' resource use in the 2040 climate target impact assessment – An analysis of biomass, electricity, and water needs for Bioenergy and Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS and DACCS) in the EU Commission's Impact Assessment of the 2040 target. Ecologic Institute, Berlin.
This report, funded by the European Climate Foundation (ECF), examines the assumptions for industrial carbon removals in the European Commission's 2040 Climate Target Impact Assessment. It focuses on the deployment of industrial carbon removal technologies and their resource demands.
On 6 February 2024, the Commission published its communication regarding the EU’s climate target for 2040. In this document, the Commission recommends a 90% reduction in net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. The gross GHG emission reduction and net removals from land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) are projected to make the largest contribution to achieving the target, with industrial removals becoming more relevant towards 2050. The communication is informed by the EU 2040 Impact Assessment (IA), which explores possible scenarios for achieving the climate goals set by the EU Climate Law, including the 2050 climate neutrality goal.
The technologies for industrial removals in the IA are Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS). The use of these technologies raises important questions that will become more pressing as the importance of industrial removals grows and as other sectors demand green electricity and sustainable biomass to decarbonise:
- Biomass consumption: BECCS depends on a reliable supply of biomass, raising questions about the availability of sustainable biomass for such facilities and about related (in)direct impacts on land use, human rights, and nature and biodiversity conservation.
- Energy consumption: DACCS requires electricity and heat, raising questions about the availability of green electricity and clean heat.
- Water use: DACCS uses water in the capture process, raising questions about water availability for such facilities and their location.
This report examines the assumptions and outcomes related to industrial removals, specifically BECCS and DACCS, as outlined in the IA. It focuses on analysing the IA's assumptions regarding their biomass, electricity, and water requirements in 2040 across various scenarios.