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Environment & Climate vocabulary · Emissions and Carbon

Decarbonization

Meaning in environment & climate, with examples

/diːˌkɑːrbənəˈzeɪʃən/nounCommon term

In environment & climate, decarbonization means: The process of reducing the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions of an economy, sector or company, for example by switching to clean energy and electrifying processes.

In Turkish: karbonsuzlaşma, dekarbonizasyon

How it is used

Common in strategy papers and industry: decarbonization pathway, decarbonization roadmap, industrial decarbonization. The verb is decarbonize: decarbonize the power sector. Steel and cement are called hard-to-abate sectors. The British spelling is decarbonisation.

Example sentences

  1. Our decarbonization roadmap focuses first on electrifying the furnaces.

  2. Steel and cement are among the hardest sectors for decarbonization.

Common collocations

  • decarbonization roadmap
  • decarbonization pathway
  • industrial decarbonization
  • decarbonize the economy
  • hard-to-abate sectors
  • net zeroA state in which the greenhouse gases a country or company still emits, after deep emission cuts, are balanced by the same amount being removed from the atmosphere.
  • renewable energyEnergy from sources that are naturally replaced and do not run out, such as sunlight, wind, flowing water and the Earth's heat.
  • energy efficiencyUsing less energy to provide the same service, such as heating, lighting or production, for example through insulation, efficient motors or LED lighting.
  • emissionsGases or particles released into the air, for example from vehicles, factories, power plants or farms. In climate work the word usually means greenhouse gases.
  • Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)An EU measure that puts a carbon price on certain imports, such as steel, cement, aluminum and fertilizers, based on the emissions released when they were produced.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Emissions and Carbon

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