Circular Carbon Flows and their monitoring
Client Umwelt Bundesamt
Duration April 2024 – November 2025
Background
With the goals of the Paris Agreement and the resulting greenhouse gas neutrality targets for Germany (2045) and the EU (2050), as well as the possible subsequent targets for negative emissions, carbon will play a different role in our economic system in the future than it has to date. On the one hand, climate policy considerations will focus on avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, above all carbon dioxide, as quickly and comprehensively as possible. In addition to the emitters, possible storage and sinks will also become more relevant in future. On the other hand, carbon currently serves as an important input in some areas. In the future, a circular carbon economy will become important. The recording and accounting of emissions has not yet been geared towards such a circular carbon economy.
Goals and Results
As part of the project, the relevant material flows of a circular carbon economy will first be identified and proposals will be made for the correct and comprehensive recording of these carbon flows in international, European and national reporting obligations. It is important to consider the different roles and characteristics of carbon (sources, sinks, long-term, medium-term short-term storage, atmospheric, biogenic, fossil) and its functions in a future circular carbon economy.
