The International Energy Association (IEA) has produced one of the world’s first compresence study of how to transition to net zero energy by 2050 while ensuring the energy supplies are stable and affordable. The report states that whilst there is a viable pathway to building a global energy sector with net zero emissions by 2050, it is narrow and requires unpresented transformation of energy production, transportation, and use globally. The number of countries announcing pledges to reach net zero is ever increasing, but these pledges to date, even if fully achieved, would fall well short of what is required to bring global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to net zero by 2050 and give the world an even chance of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 °C. The report sets out a cost effective and economically productive pathway, resulting in a clean and dynamic energy economy where along with the likes of solar and wind, sustainable bioenergy is shown to play a prominent role where it helps delivers emissions reductions across a wide range of areas.
The full report can be read here.