10 Ways to Win the Global Race to Net-Zero

The report identifies five key technical solutions for net-zero—energy efficiency, electrification, low-carbon fuels, heavy industry decarbonization, and carbon removal—and five strategic recommendations for Canada, including the creation of industry consortia, Indigenous leadership, a whole-of-government approach, a just transition for workers, and a transparent framework for carbon offsets.

• Energy efficiency and electrification are identified as the most impactful solutions for achieving net-zero, with the power sector acting as the central hub for a climate-neutral energy system.
• Decarbonizing heavy industry, such as steel and cement, requires specialized approaches, and hydrogen is consistently flagged as a critical energy carrier for this process.
• Sweden has established a leading position in green steel through the HYBRIT initiative and the Fossil Free Sweden program, utilizing a collaborative model where the government provides direction and funding while industry owns the roadmap.
• Germany's National Hydrogen Strategy prioritizes 'green' hydrogen produced from renewable energies for long-term sustainability, while accepting 'blue' or 'turquoise' hydrogen as transitional options.
• The European Battery Alliance (EBA) has successfully attracted EUR 60 billion in investment by coordinating a value chain from raw materials to recycling, aiming for EU battery cell self-sufficiency by 2025.
• The United States under the Biden administration has implemented an 'all-of-government' approach via a National Climate Task Force to integrate climate policy across all federal agencies.
• New Zealand has integrated Indigenous Māori leadership into climate action through the Office of the Māori Climate Commissioner and the One Billion Trees Programme.
• The European Union's Just Transition Mechanism uses three pillars—the Just Transition Fund, InvestEU, and the EIB public sector loan facility—to support regions heavily dependent on carbon-intensive industries.
• The report recommends that Canada establish a Just Transition Act based on International Labour Organization guidelines to support workers during the energy transition.
• Carbon removals and offsets should be treated as a measure of last resort rather than an alternative to direct emissions mitigation.

APA

Woynillowicz, D., Beedell, E., & Wooders, P. (2021). 10 Ways to Win the Global Race to Net-Zero. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-05/10-ways-net-zero-canada-climate.pdf

Chicago

Woynillowicz, Dan, Estan Beedell, and Peter Wooders. 10 Ways to Win the Global Race to Net-Zero. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-05/10-ways-net-zero-canada-climate.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Woynillowicz |first1=Dan |last2=Beedell |first2=Estan |last3=Wooders |first3=Peter |title=10 Ways to Win the Global Race to Net-Zero |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-05/10-ways-net-zero-canada-climate.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{woynillowicz2021ways, author = {Woynillowicz, Dan and Beedell, Estan and Wooders, Peter}, title = {{10 Ways to Win the Global Race to Net-Zero}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-05/10-ways-net-zero-canada-climate.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }