Feasibility of Carbon Neutrality in 2050

The Net Zero 2050 scenarios aim to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This objective stems from the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aspires to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. The Net Zero 2050 trajectory has been adopted by 33 countries, including those in the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom, which are among the world’s major greenhouse gas emitters (China and Brazil, however, aim for carbon neutrality by 2060).
As explored in our previous article, greenhouse gas emissions are closely linked to energy use, accounting for up to 75% of total emissions. Thus, the energy challenges of the Net Zero 2050 scenarios will revolve around meeting the needs of an economy twice as large, serving an additional two billion people, with entirely decarbonized energy. This challenge is immense, requiring the mobilization of numerous developing sectors and technologies still in their experimental stages. It primarily depends on the electrification of energy needs coupled with the massive deployment of decarbonized energy sources (renewable and nuclear) and the emergence of new, less carbon-intensive energy vectors (hydrogen, e-fuels, e-gas). Residual emissions will be offset by advanced carbon capture systems.