A Plan To Turn Back The Climate Crisis

Deep Decarbonization: A Realistic Way Forward on Climate Change; Global emissions have soared by two-thirds in the three decades since international climate talks began. To make the reductions required, what’s needed is a new approach that creates incentives for leading countries and industries to spark transformative technological revolutions.

By Davd G. Victor, January 28, 2020 (Yale Environment 360)

“…The lack of much incentive for deep decarbonization explains why global emissions have increased by nearly two-thirds since 1990…Emissions are now rising at about 1 to 2 percent annually, even though a new UN study shows they must tumble nearly 8 percent per year to be consistent with holding warming to 1.5 degrees C. No major economy has ever cut emissions of warming gases that quickly…Even with a big effort, we may be on track for 3 degrees C or more — levels of warming that scientists say will have ruinous consequences…[T] he need for a realistic blueprint to steadily wean our economies off fossil fuels has never been more urgent…

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Nearly 200 countries are involved, each with different interests…The gridlock most recently on display at UN climate talks in Madrid — where essentially nothing was agreed — is just the latest evidence that global diplomacy and global agreements will operate too slowly and too cautiously…[Decarbonization requires technological revolutions in] 10 sectors that matter most, including electricity generation, cars, buildings, shipping, agriculture, aviation, and steel…[They] account for about 80 percent of world emissions…[T]he world has the technology it needs for deep cuts…[W]hat’s needed for deep decarbonization in the real world is a combination of technology and business models — real companies with an incentive to deploy at scale...

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New technologies are emerging, which gives cause for optimism over the long haul…[W]hat’s needed in most sectors is a more dynamic approach through which policies target the direction of innovation…[O]nly a subset of political jurisdictions — mainly in Europe and parts of the United States, and in a few other countries — have demonstrated that they are highly motivated to act…[The silver lining is that much] of what is needed to improve technologies and markets in the initial phase can happen in small groups of countries where incentives for change are strongest…[Ultimately,] the political and economic strategies must shift — from the leaders to the rest of the planet…” click here for more

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