Example
Electrification can contribute when the electricity supply has lower emissions than displaced fuels.
The catch
The term sometimes includes other greenhouse gases, so the boundary needs clarity.
In more depth
Decarbonisation, explained.
Decarbonisation comes from two levers, cutting the carbon in each unit of energy and cutting the energy needed for each unit of activity. Cleaner power, electrification and efficiency work together, and the IPCC reports that several countries have sustained emission cuts while their economies grew, evidence that growth and decarbonisation can be decoupled.
A decarbonisation claim can be absolute or relative, so find out which. Falling emissions intensity can coexist with rising totals. Corporate claims also depend on accounting choices, since a company can report lower Scope 2 emissions by buying renewable electricity certificates while drawing the same power from the grid as before.