Paris Agreement Compatible Sectoral Benchmarks Summary Report

The Climate Action Tracker has established 'highest plausible ambition' benchmarks for four key sectors—Power, Transport, Industry, and Buildings—to guide the global transition to net-zero emissions by 2050. The report provides specific targets for 2030 and 2050, both globally and for seven major economies (Brazil, China, EU, India, Indonesia, South Africa, and the US), emphasizing that while starting points differ, all sectors must decarbonise by mid-century to meet the 1.5°C goal. Key priorities include the immediate phase-out of coal in developed nations by 2030, a rapid shift to zero-emission vehicles, and significant emissions intensity reductions in cement and steel production.

• To limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C, the world must reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, with all sectors needing to decarbonise within this timeframe.
• The power sector is a high priority as it enables the decarbonisation of other sectors; emissions per unit of electricity should reach zero by 2040, or net negative by 2050 at the latest, with renewables reaching 98-100% share in the same timeframe.
• Coal phase-out is the top priority for the power sector, with a target of zero coal share by 2030 for developed countries (EU-28 and USA) and by 2040 for developing countries and emerging economies.
• The transport sector requires a rapid increase in low-carbon fuels (electricity, hydrogen, or biomass) to 15-20% by 2030 and nearly 100% by 2050. Electric or zero-emission passenger vehicles should reach a 95% market share in developed countries by 2030 and 100% in almost all countries by 2040.
• Industrial emissions intensity in cement can be reduced by 90% by 2050, requiring a reduction in cement clinker share to 50% by 2050 and the use of CCS and CCU to cover 65% to 80% of emissions. Steel industry emissions intensity can be reduced to zero by 2050, with a 25% to 30% reduction by 2030.
• Building stock emissions intensity must converge close to zero by 2040 or 2050 for all countries. New buildings must be equipped with zero-emissions heating and cooling, and renovation rates in the EU and USA must increase to approximately 3.5% per year by 2030.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2020). Paris Agreement Compatible Sectoral Benchmarks Summary Report. https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/754/CAT_2020-07-10_ParisAgreementBenchmarks_SummaryReport.pdf

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Paris Agreement Compatible Sectoral Benchmarks Summary Report. 2020. https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/754/CAT_2020-07-10_ParisAgreementBenchmarks_SummaryReport.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Paris Agreement Compatible Sectoral Benchmarks Summary Report |date=5 August 2020 |url=https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/754/CAT_2020-07-10_ParisAgreementBenchmarks_SummaryReport.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2020paris, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Paris Agreement Compatible Sectoral Benchmarks Summary Report}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/754/CAT_2020-07-10_ParisAgreementBenchmarks_SummaryReport.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }