CLIMATE CENTRAL SOLUTIONS BRIEF: GETTING TO NET ZERO

The document defines net zero as the balance between greenhouse gas emissions released and those removed from the atmosphere. It identifies the primary U.S. emitting sectors as transportation (28%), electricity (27%), and industry (22%), and outlines solutions including the electrification of transport and buildings, the expansion of wind and solar power, and the use of natural and technological carbon sinks. It highlights that while 12 U.S. states have net-zero mandates by 2050, massive adoption of electric vehicles and carbon removal technologies is necessary to meet Paris Agreement targets.

• To meet the 1.5°C warming target set by the Paris Agreement, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 50% by 2030 and reach "net zero" by mid-century.
• In the United States, the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions are transportation (28%), electricity (27%), and industry (22%), followed by agriculture (10%), commercial (7%), and residential (6%).
• The U.S. electricity sector is transitioning toward decarbonization, with 34 utilities declaring net-zero targets by mid-century as of November 2020; however, fossil fuels still generated approximately 63% of electricity in 2019.
• Achieving Paris 2030 reduction goals may require 1 in 5 cars globally to be electric, which would mean 40-50 million electric vehicles in the U.S., compared to approximately 1 million currently.
• Natural carbon sinks, including the restoration of forests and wetlands and improved management of grasslands and agriculture, could provide about one-third of the carbon reductions needed for the Paris Agreement.
• Sustainable farming techniques in the U.S. have the potential to sequester up to 200 million tons of CO2 annually, an amount equivalent to the emissions of 42 million gasoline-fueled cars.
• U.S. policy commitments to greenhouse gas reduction are increasing, with 23 states and the District of Columbia adopting reduction targets, and 12 states specifically mandating net-zero by 2050.

APA

Climate Central (2020). CLIMATE CENTRAL SOLUTIONS BRIEF: GETTING TO NET ZERO. https://ccimgs-2020.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/2020NetZero/2020NetZero_1222020.pdf

Chicago

Climate Central. CLIMATE CENTRAL SOLUTIONS BRIEF: GETTING TO NET ZERO. 2020. https://ccimgs-2020.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/2020NetZero/2020NetZero_1222020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=CLIMATE CENTRAL SOLUTIONS BRIEF: GETTING TO NET ZERO |date=2 December 2020 |url=https://ccimgs-2020.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/2020NetZero/2020NetZero_1222020.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2020climate, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{CLIMATE CENTRAL SOLUTIONS BRIEF: GETTING TO NET ZERO}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://ccimgs-2020.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/2020NetZero/2020NetZero_1222020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }