Higheremission

Higheremission is a term used in environmental analysis to denote a level of greenhouse gas emissions that is higher than a specified reference point, such as a historical baseline or a preferred policy pathway. It describes a trajectory or outcome in which emissions rise or decline more slowly than in alternative scenarios. The term is often used in academic studies, policy assessments, and industry reporting to contrast with lower-emission futures.

In practice, higheremission can refer to emissions from any sector, including energy production, transportation, industry, agriculture, and land use. It can describe a modeled pathway, a data tag in a dataset, or a labeling convention in reports to indicate emissions that exceed a given benchmark.

Measurement and interpretation: higheremission is typically expressed in CO2-equivalent terms, as total annual emissions or as emissions intensity per unit of GDP or energy output. In climate modeling, higheremission scenarios assume higher energy demand, slower decarbonization, or delayed adoption of carbon-reducing technologies.

Implications: higheremission trajectories imply greater climate risk, higher long-term mitigation costs, and stronger needs for adaptation. They are used to test policy robustness, inform targets, and communicate the benefits of emissions reductions.

Relation to policy and discourse: higheremission is commonly discussed alongside lower-emission or net-zero pathways to illustrate potential futures and to frame targets such as national inventories, carbon budgets, or sectoral decarbonization goals.

See also: emissions scenarios, greenhouse gas accounting, carbon budget, decarbonization, climate policy.