Article
IEEE Spectrum
An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now
1.0
Electrify Transportation
→
Reduce 8 gigatons of transportation emissions to 2 gigatons by 2050.
1.1
Price
→
EVs achieve price and performance parity with new combustion-engine vehicles in the U.S. by 2024, and in India and China by 2030.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
$64,507 (average EV) vs. $44,761 (average full-size car)
Data: Kelley Blue Book
Date: Dec. 2022
1.2
Cars
→
One of two new personal vehicles purchased worldwide are EVs by 2030, 95% by 2040.
Updated June 2023
Strong Momentum
EV share of global auto sales was 14% in 2022
(BEVs, FCVs, and PHEVs)
Data: BloombergNEF
Date: March 2023
1.3
Buses & Trucks
→
All new buses are electric by 2025; 30% of medium and heavy trucks purchased are zero-emissions vehicles by 2030; 95% of trucks by 2045.
Updated May 2023
Limited Progress
Over the past decade, e-bus share has grown from 1% to 44%
Data: BloombergNEF
Date: 2021
1.4
Miles
↓ 5 Gt
→
50% of miles driven globally (two- and three-wheelers, cars, buses, and trucks) are electric by 2040, 95% by 2050.
Updated May 2023
Code Red
EV global share of miles driven: 7.3%
Data: BloombergNEF
Date: 2021
1.5
Planes
↓ 0.3 Gt
→
Low-carbon fuel powers 20% of miles flown by 2025; carbon-neutral fuel powers 40% of miles flown by 2040.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
<0.1% of flights use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
Data: IATA
Date: 2022
Off Course
Projected launch of first carbon-neutral ships: 2023
Data: Maersk
Date: 2022
2.0
Decarbonize the Grid
→
Reduce 24 gigatons of global electricity and heating emissions to 3 gigatons by 2050.
2.1
Zero Emissions
↓ 16.5 Gt
→
50% of electricity worldwide comes from zero-emissions sources by 2025, 90% by 2035.
Updated May 2023
Strong Momentum
Global market share of zero-emissions electricity: 38%
Data: IEA
Date: 2021
2.2
Solar & Wind
→
Solar and wind are cheaper to build and operate than emitting sources in all countries by 2025
Updated May 2023
Strong Momentum
96% of the world’s population lives in nations where renewable sources are cheaper than fossil fuels
Data: BloombergNEF
Date: 2022
2.3
Storage
→
Electricity storage drops below $50 per kWh for short duration (4–24 hours) by 2025, $10 per kWh for long duration (14–30 days) by 2030.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
Short-term storage: $324/kWh
Data: BloombergNEF
Date: 2022
2.4
Coal & Gas
→
No new coal or gas plants from 2023 on; existing plants to retire or zero out emissions by 2025 for coal and by 2035 for gas.*
Updated May 2023
Code Red
Now under construction globally: 374 coal-fired units and 505 gas-plant units
Data: Global Energy Monitor
Date: January 2023
2.5
Methane Emissions
↓ 3 Gt
→
Eliminate leaks, venting, and most flaring from coal, oil, and gas sites by 2025.
Updated May 2023
Code Red
Methane emissions were approximately 3 gigatons in 2022
Data: IEA
Date: 2022
2.6
Heating & Cooking
↓ 1.5 Gt
→
Cut gas and oil for heating and cooking in half by 2040.*
Updated May 2023
Code Red
Fossil fuels power 41% of cooking stoves and heat 58% of U.S. homes
Data: U.S. Census Bureau
Date: 2021
2.7
Clean Economy
→
To more than triple the energy productivity rate by 2035, we must phase out fossil fuels while also boosting energy efficiency.
Updated May 2023
Limited Progress
World average: $240 in GDP per $1 of fuel consumption
Data: BP Statistical Review and World Bank
Date: 2021
3.0
Fix Food
→
Reduce 9 gigatons of agricultural emissions to 2 gigatons by 2050.
3.1
Farm Soils
↓ 2 Gt
→
Improve soil health through practices that increase carbon content in topsoils to a minimum of 3%.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
1.4%: Average carbon content of farm soils in the U.S.
Data: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Date: 2013; published 2017
3.2
Fertilizers
↓ 0.5 Gt
→
Stop the overuse of nitrogen-based fertilizers and develop greener alternatives to cut emissions in half by 2050.
Updated October 2022
Off Course
69.8 kilograms per hectare: global average for nitrogen-based fertilizers
Data: FAO
Date: 2019
3.3
Consumption
↓ 3 Gt
→
Promote lower-emissions proteins, cutting annual consumption of beef and dairy 25% by 2030, 50% by 2050.
Updated October 2022
Code Red
U.S. per capita weekly consumption: 1.1 lbs. of beef and 3.8 lbs. of dairy
Data: OECD
Date: 2020
3.4
Rice
↓ 0.5 Gt
→
Reduce methane and nitrous oxide from rice farming by 50% by 2050.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
1 gigaton of CO2e resulting from rice production
Data: WRI and the Sustainable Rice Platform
Date: 2014 and 2021
3.5
Food Waste
↓ 1 Gt
→
Lower the food waste ratio from 40% of all food produced to 10%.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
40%: estimated global portion of food that is wasted
Data: WWF and Tesco
Date: 2021
4.0
Protect Nature
→
Go from 6 gigatons of emissions to -1 gigatons by 2050.
4.1
Forests
↓ 6 Gt
→
Achieve net zero deforestation by 2030; end destructive practices and logging in primary forests.
Updated April 2023
Code Red
3.75 million hectares of primary forest lost annually
Data: Global Forest Watch
Date: 2021
4.2
Oceans
↓ 1 Gt
→
Eliminate deep-sea bottom trawling and protect at least 30% of oceans by 2030, 50% by 2050.
Updated April 2023
Limited Progress
8% of coastal oceans are protected
Data: Protected Planet
Date: June 2022
Off Course
17% of global lands are protected
Data: Protected Planet
Date: June 2022
5.0
Clean Up Industry
→
Reduce 12 gigatons of industrial emissions to 4 gigatons by 2050.
5.1
Steel
↓ 3 Gt
→
Reduce total carbon intensity of steel production 50% by 2030, 90% by 2040.
Updated May 2023
Code Red
1.9 tons of CO2 emitted per 1 ton of steel produced
Data: WorldSteel.org
Date: 2021
5.2
Cement
↓ 2 Gt
→
Reduce total carbon intensity of cement production 25% by 2030, 90% by 2040.
Updated May 2023
Code Red
0.6 tons of CO2 emitted per 1 ton of cement produced
Data: IEA
Date: 2021
5.3
Other Industries
↓ 2 Gt
→
Reduce emissions from other industrial sources (primarily plastics, chemicals, paper, aluminum, glass, and apparel) 80% by 2050.
Updated April 2023
Code Red
5 gigatons emitted by other industries
Data: UNEP
Date: 2020
6.0
Remove Carbon
→
Remove 10 gigatons of carbon dioxide per year from the atmosphere.
6.1
Nature-Based Removal
↓ 5 Gt
→
Remove at least 1 gigaton per year by 2025, 3 gigatons by 2030, and 5 gigatons by 2040.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
0.28 gigatons of nature-based carbon removal being tracked
Data: Climate Focus
Date: 2022
6.2
Engineered Removal
↓ 5 Gt
→
Remove at least 1 gigaton per year by 2030, 3 gigatons by 2040, and 5 gigatons by 2050.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
Currently, 43 metric tons are being removed annually
Data: BloombergNEF
Date: 2021
7.1
Commitments
→
Each country enacts a national commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and gets at least halfway there by 2030.
Updated August 2022
Limited Progress
EU and UK: cut emissions in half by 2030; net zero by 2050
U.S.: Congress passed climate laws that target a 40% cut by 2030.
China: net zero by 2060
India: net zero by 2070
Russia announced net zero 2060, though no formal adoption
7.2
Subsidies
→
End direct and indirect subsidies for fossil fuel companies and for harmful agricultural practices.
Updated August 2022
Code Red
The top five emitters still pay a total of nearly $4 trillion in fossil fuel subsidies. Globally, nations are paying $5.9 trillion, including healthcare spending due to air pollution and other indirect costs.
Source: IMF
Date: 2020
7.3
Price on Carbon
→
Set national prices on CO2 emissions at a minimum of $55 per ton, rising 5% annually.*
Updated August 2022
Off Course
EU: $100/ton; member states implement their own price schedules
UK: $20/ton
China: $10/ton
U.S.: No national price. 12 states set prices
India: No national price
Russia: No national price
7.4
Global Bans
→
Prohibit HFCs as refrigerants and ban single-use plastics for all non-medical purposes.
Updated August 2022
Limited Progress
U.S. aims to reduce HFCs 85% by 2036.
The EU aims to reduce HFCs 67% from 2010 by 2030.
China aims to reduce HFCs 68% by 2025.
7.5
Government R&D
→
Double (at minimum) global public investment into research and development; quadruple it in the United States.
Updated August 2022
Off Course
China: $7.9 billion
U.S.: $9.4 billion
EU + UK: $8.7 billion
India: $110 million
Russia: little to no allocation
Data: IEA
Date: 2020
8.1
Voters
→
The climate crisis is a top-two voting issue in the twenty top-emitting countries by 2025.
Updated August 2022
Off Course
Climate’s rank as top issue: #9 in the U.S., #8 globally, #2 (tied) in Europe
Data: Gallup (May 2022), Ipsos (June 2022), and Eurobarometer (Jan. 2022)
*different surveys can only be roughly compared to each other
8.2
Government
→
A majority of government officials—elected or appointed—will support the drive to net zero.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
47% of heads of state (7 of 15 top-emitting nations)
27% of national legislatures (4 of 15 top-emitting nations)
Data: EDGAR
Date: 2021
8.3
Business
→
100% of Fortune Global 500 companies commit immediately to reach net zero by 2040.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
3.4% of Global 500 companies committed to net zero by 2040 across Scope 1-2-3 emissions
6.2% of Global 500 companies committed to net zero by 2050 across Scope 1-2-3 emissions
Data: Speed & Scale
Date: November 2022
8.4
Education Equity
→
The world achieves universal primary and secondary education by 2040.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
129 million girls out of school
Data: UNICEF
Date: 2022
8.5
Health Equity
→
Eliminate the gaps among racial and socioeconomic groups in mortality rates from air pollution by 2040.
Updated August 2022
Off Course
2.2 years (global average loss of life due to air pollution)
5 years (lost lifespan in S. Asia, Niger Delta, other low-income regions)
Data: Air Quality Life Index (AQLI)
Date: 2021
8.6
Economic Equity
→
The global clean energy transition creates 65 million new jobs, equitably distributed and outpacing the loss of fossil fuel jobs.
Updated May 2023
Limited Progress
13 million people employed directly and indirectly
Data: IRENA
Date: 2021
9.1
Batteries
→
Produce 10,000 GWh of batteries yearly at less than $80 per kWh by 2035.
Updated August 2022
Strong Momentum
Production: ~834GWh
Price: $132 per kWh
Sources: BloombergNEF
Date: 2021
9.2
Electricity
→
Cost of zero-emission baseload power reaches $0.02 per kWh by 2030, with peak-demand power reaching $0.08 per kWh.
Updated May 2023
Strong Momentum
5 cents/kWh cost for utility-scale solar
Data: IRENA
Date: 2021
9.3
Green Hydrogen
→
Cost of producing hydrogen from zero-emissions sources drops to $2 per kg by 2030, $1 per kg by 2040.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
$2-$12 per kg, not currently produced at scale
Source: BloombergNEF
Date: 2021
9.4
Carbon Removal
→
Cost of engineered carbon dioxide removal falls to $100 per ton by 2030, $50 per ton by 2040.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
$600 to $1,200 per ton of carbon removed, not at scale
Source: Bloomberg and Climeworks
Date: 2021
9.5
Carbon-Neutral Fuels
→
Cost of synthetic fuel drops to $2.50 per gallon for jet fuel and $3.50 for gasoline by 2035.
Updated August 2022
Off Course
Jet Fuel: $4.22 (Traditional) vs. $22.13 (Sustainable) ~ 5.3X
Vehicle Fuel: $5.72 (Diesel) vs. $6.26 (Biodiesel) ~ 1.1X
U.S. prices when available. No pricing or availability for carbon-neutral fuels. Limited availability and price transparency for sustainable aviation fuels.
Data: IATA, BloombergNEF, GlobalPetrolPrices.com, AFDC
Date: June 2022
10.1
Financial Incentives
→
Increase global government incentives and support for clean energy from $128 billion to $600 billion per year.
Updated May 2023
Off Course
$128 billion in global government incentives for renewable power generation, which is 20% to 35% of total direct fossil fuel subsidies
Source: IRENA
Date: 2020
10.2
Government R&D
→
Increase public-sector funding of energy R&D from $9.2 billion to $40 billion a year in the U.S.; other countries should aim to triple funding.
Updated May 2023
Limited Progress
U.S. energy R&D budget: $9.2 billion
Source: IEA
Date: 2021
10.3
Venture Capital
→
Expand investment of capital into U.S. startup companies to $50 billion per year.
Updated May 2023
Achieved
$59 billion invested in U.S. climate tech startups, up from $17 billion in 2020
Source: BloombergNEF
Date: 2022
10.4
Project Financing
→
More than double zero-emissions project financing by 2025, from $431 billion to $1 trillion per year.
Updated May 2023
Limited Progress
Clean energy financing reached an all-time high last year, hitting $583 billion
Source: BloombergNEF
Date: 2022
10.5
Philanthropic Investing
→
Increase philanthropic dollars from $10 billion to $30 billion per year.
Updated May 2023
Limited Progress
Less than 2% (between $7.5 billion and $12.5 billion) of philanthropic giving is dedicated to climate change mitigation
Source: ClimateWorks Foundation
Date: 2021