Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Shining light on residual emissions for cities

Nature Climate Change volume 14, pages 302–305 (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Many cities are developing plans and strategies to achieve net-zero emissions and combat climate change. However, the operational value of residual emissions remains unknown, thus challenging the integrity, transparency and impact of such pledges.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Schematization of the conceptual framework to establish (qualitatively) the level of unavoidability of remaining emissions.

References

  1. Adoption of the Paris Agreement FCCC/CP/2015/L.9/Rev.1 (UNFCCC, 2015); https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf

  2. Galán-Martín, Á. et al. Nat. Commun. 12, 6490 (2021).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Pathak, M. et al. Technical Summary. In Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change (eds Shukla, P. R. et al) (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2022).

  4. Fankhauser, S. et al. Nat. Clim. Change 12, 15–21 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Steg, L. et al. One Earth 5, 1216–1227 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Watts, M. Nat. Clim. Change 7, 537–538 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Ulpiani, G. & Vetters, N. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 183, 113448 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Ulpiani, G., Vetters, N., Melica, G. & Bertoldi, P. Sustain. Cities Soc. 95, 104572 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Peters, G. P. Nat. Clim. Change 6, 646–649 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Luderer, G. et al. Nat. Clim. Change 8, 626–633 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Buck, H. J., Carton, W., Lund, J. F. & Markusson, N. Nat. Clim. Change 13, 351–358 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Buck, H. J., Carton, W., Lund, J. F. & Markusson, N. Nat. Clim. Change 13, 317–319 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The views expressed are purely those of the authors and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy

    Giulia Ulpiani, Paolo Bertoldi & Christian Thiel

  2. European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Brussels, Belgium

    Nadja Vetters

Authors
  1. Giulia Ulpiani
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nadja Vetters
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paolo Bertoldi
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Christian Thiel
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

G.U. conceptualized the article, developed the figures, and crafted the main messages with input from all co-authors. The initial draft was written by G.U. with contributions from C.T., N.V. and P.B. All authors contributed to reviewing and editing the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giulia Ulpiani.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Peer review

Peer review information

Nature Climate Change thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ulpiani, G., Vetters, N., Bertoldi, P. et al. Shining light on residual emissions for cities. Nat. Clim. Chang. 14, 302–305 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-01961-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-01961-z

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing