Scientists have been studying our climate for decades and have come to an inescapable conclusion: greenhouse gases are driving up Earth’s average temperature, leading to extreme environmental events that will be difficult to prepare for, experience and recover from, with effects that will further exacerbate existing inequalities. However, there is still hope. We can work together to slow down and stop climate change in meaningful ways.
In 2015, countries around the world forged the historic Paris Agreement, in which they committed to taking decisive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep climate change in check. This translates to a pledge to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. This means reducing emissions as much as possible and making up for whatever can’t be eliminated by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The goal is to limit the average global temperature increase to less than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial Revolution levels and ideally to stop at 1.5 degrees.
Though 1.5 degrees may not sound like much, science has shown that it makes a world of difference. For instance, two degrees of warming would create intense and long-lasting droughts in parts of southern Europe, Central America and Australia, whereas 1.5 degrees of warming would result in half as many water shortages.
Ultimately, staying under 1.5 degrees of warming will be a monumental challenge, as society is heavily invested in burning fossil fuels for energy. Even an industry that seems unrelated on the surface, such as textile production, releases roughly a billion tons of greenhouse gases every year. To keep our planet in check, we’ll need to overhaul our ways of doing just about everything and soon.
Fortunately, The International Energy Agency has given us a road map full of possible milestones, such as stopping the sale of fossil fuel boilers to heat our water and homes by 2025, and stopping the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035. If we take immediate steps to transform every major industry, it is possible to get to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 and in so doing, keep warming in check. By 2040, the world could be running on electricity with net-zero emissions, and half of all buildings would have systems in place to operate without releasing greenhouse gases. By 2045, we could be getting half of our heat from efficient, low-carbon heat pumps. Finally, by 2050, even manufacturing could be transformed, with more than 90 percent of heavy industry like machinery production and shipbuilding being considered low-emission.
Manufacturing processes are often especially hard to decarbonize, so in addition to technological breakthroughs on the materials we use, we would likely also rely on technologies to capture the emissions released, rather than letting them escape into the atmosphere.
So, if you’re 15 years old, watching this in 2023, if we stuck to a plan like this, then by your 42nd birthday party, you’d be living in a very different world. Imagine it: there’d be no more coal-fired power plants, belching smoke over cities, and the phrase “gas guzzler” would also be a thing of the past, because there’d be no more gasoline pumps. Instead, you’d be rocking an electric hot rod Camry, or hopping on public transit powered by carbon-free electricity. In your home, that same electricity would power all your devices, from your phone charger to your robot Butler!
The incredible thing is, this future isn’t some sci-fi pipe dream. We’ve learned throughout this series that there are many carbon-neutral technologies that exist right now in every sector, they just need to be made more affordable to take off. But, to make this net-zero future a reality, we’ll also need some serious technological advances. For example, we already have options for generating carbon-neutral electricity, like wind, solar, nuclear, hydroelectricity, and more. But, to use them to power the whole world, we’ll need big improvements in electricity storage and transmission, so we can get power whenever and wherever we need it.
Technology won’t be the only hurdle to overcome. There are still a bunch of government policies, subsidies and initiatives in effect that are designed to keep fossil fuels cheap. They make various carbon-free options artificially expensive by comparison, creating something called a “green premium”. But, if governments can thoughtfully reduce and eventually eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, they can help make carbon-free energy more affordable, and make technologies that emit greenhouse gases look less appealing. The money governments are currently spending to make fossil fuels cheap could also be used to make carbon-neutral energy cheaper, or to research new emissions-free technologies.
Ultimately, though, when it comes to getting to net-zero, every emission sector and every area of the world will need a different approach. There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy. Meanwhile, the stakes keep getting higher.
If you’re feeling like all of this is overwhelming, you’re not alone. Government subsidies, emerging technologies, many of the solutions to climate change might seem like they’re happening on a level way above your head, and the things you can do - like walking, cycling, making thoughtful purchasing decisions, eating less meat, voting - all of these are awesome (by the way), but they can feel discouraging or maybe small.
It’s hard to beat just one person trying to make a difference, especially when you consider the impacts of what you can do versus the impacts of major corporations. From 1965 to 2017, just 20 companies were responsible for a whopping 35 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions globally. So, where do people like you and me fit into that part of the story?
Well, companies, governments, and research centers developing new technologies all have one thing in common: they’re made by people, supported by people, and can be changed by people. And, in a lot of big ways, young people are leading this charge. You’ve probably heard of Greta Thunberg, a Swedish environmental activist who has led school strikes and spoken at global climate conferences.