Quantum computing could help cut up to 5 billion tons of global greenhouse gas emissions annually by 2040, according to a new BCG report. The firm reviewed 50 use cases and identified nine high-impact areas including carbon capture, green hydrogen, ammonia, cement, steel, batteries, and livestock methane vaccines. The main advantage is simulating molecular behavior that is too complex for conventional supercomputers, which could lead to cheaper carbon capture materials and more efficient industrial processes. However, BCG warns that actual reductions will be limited in the near term. Since large industrial facilities like steel mills and cement plants last 20 to 40 years, only 10 to 15 percent of the total potential may be realized by 2040. Corporate spending on quantum computing reached $300 million last year, exceeding public investment. The report highlights that quantum computing is a long-term climate tool, not a near-term fix.
