When can we reach zero?
When we stop producing greenhouse gases is as important as how. Greenhouse gases don't disappear, they linger in the atmosphere for decades. Emissions from previous years will still cause warming, but rapid action can prevent some of the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.
Try this
- Guide each person into the future. Each person represents the potential for
greenhouse gas reductions in the sectors they represent. - Can you reach net zero emissions by 2050? What happens to the temperature?
Historical CO₂ data are from the Global Carbon Project. Other historical greenhouse gas data are from the PRIMAP-hist dataset from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The future emissions curve is the baseline SSP3 trajectory (AIM/GCE for IPCC AR6, 2018) harmonized to post-2021 years. Each person on the chart represents the currently-available mitigation potential for the energy, buildings, industrial, agricultural and land use, and transportation sectors. These mitigation actions are available now and are cost-effective up to $200 per ton of CO₂, as estimated by the United Nations Environmental Program.