Why isn't "zero emissions" generally a socially efficient level of pollution?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The concept of social efficiency in pollution management involves balancing the marginal costs of abatement (reducing emissions) against the marginal damages caused by pollution. Achieving zero emissions would typically require extremely high marginal abatement costs, potentially much higher than the marginal damages caused by the last units of pollution. This imbalance means that it would not be socially efficient to eliminate emissions entirely, as the resources used to achieve zero emissions could be more beneficially employed elsewhere in the economy.

Why Isn't "Zero Emissions" Generally a Socially Efficient Level of Pollution