A Policy Pathway to Reach U.S. Net Zero Emissions by 2050

The report proposes a policy framework to reach U.S. net zero emissions by 2050, projecting an annual abatement of over 6 Gt of emissions and 120,000 lives saved from reduced pollution. It details sector-specific strategies: industrial decarbonization through electrification and hydrogen; transportation via electric and hydrogen vehicle mandates; a 100 percent carbon-free electricity standard by 2050; and an all-electric building sales mandate by 2035.

• The proposed net zero pathway is projected to abate more than 6 Gt of emissions annually by 2050 and save over 120,000 American lives each year by reducing particulate pollution.
• To decarbonize the industrial sector, where emissions are 35 percent of U.S. totals, the pathway relies on electrification and hydrogen for 38 percent of abatement, material efficiency and re-use for 21 percent, and the replacement of fluorinated gases for 14 percent.
• Transportation emissions, which account for 27 percent of U.S. emissions, can be reduced primarily through a 100 percent all-electric sales mandate for most vehicles by 2030 and a 50 percent mandate for medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2030, together providing 73 percent of abatement.
• The electricity sector, responsible for 26 percent of U.S. emissions, can be fully decarbonized through a 100 percent carbon-free electricity standard by 2050 incorporating wind, solar, hydropower, and nuclear power.
• For the buildings sector, which accounts for 27 percent of U.S. emissions, an all-electric sales mandate by 2035 is the primary driver, contributing 87 percent of emissions reductions.

APA

Marcacci, S. (2019). A Policy Pathway to Reach U.S. Net Zero Emissions by 2050. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/report/a-policy-pathway-to-reach-u-s-net-zero-emissions-by-2050/

Chicago

Marcacci, Silvio. A Policy Pathway to Reach U.S. Net Zero Emissions by 2050. Energy Innovation, 2019. https://energyinnovation.org/report/a-policy-pathway-to-reach-u-s-net-zero-emissions-by-2050/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Marcacci |first1=Silvio |title=A Policy Pathway to Reach U.S. Net Zero Emissions by 2050 |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=16 November 2019 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/report/a-policy-pathway-to-reach-u-s-net-zero-emissions-by-2050/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{marcacci2019policy, author = {Marcacci, Silvio}, title = {{A Policy Pathway to Reach U.S. Net Zero Emissions by 2050}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/report/a-policy-pathway-to-reach-u-s-net-zero-emissions-by-2050/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }