Net zero emissions – the balance between carbon released and removed from the atmosphere – represents a global climate goal. However, the pathways to achieve this balance are diverse, with varying approaches, timelines, and trade-offs. This page explores the different routes we might take toward a carbon-neutral future and the strategic decisions that shape them.
Material requirements for batteries and renewables
Grid modernization
Speed of deployment versus grid stability
Battery storage scaling
Integration of distributed energy resources
Key Components
Strategic Considerations
Green hydrogen production scaling
Energy losses in hydrogen production
Blue hydrogen with carbon capture
Infrastructure redesign requirements
Hydrogen infrastructure development
Cost reduction trajectories
Fuel cell technologies
Competing uses/requirements across sectors
Industrial process development and transformation
Balancing production methods (green vs blue)
Carbon Management
Key Components
Strategic Considerations
Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Energy intensity of carbon capture
Direct air capture (DAC)
Storage location and capacity
Natural carbon sinks enhancement
Cost per ton of CO2 removed
Biochar and soil sequesteration
Verification and permanence challenges
Carbon utilization technologies
Balancing technological and natural solutions
Sectoral Transformations for Net Zero
Industrial Decarbonization
Food and Land Systems
Key Components
Strategic Considerations
Process heat electrification
High-temp process challenges
Green materials development
Capital replacement cycles
Circular economy approaches
International competitiveness
Industrial energy efficiency
Material efficiency strategies
Key Components
Strategic Considerations
Sustainable agriculture
Maintaining food security
Diet and consumption shifts
Managing competing land demands
Forest conservation and restoration
Regional adaptation requirements
Cultural transitions in food systems
Indigenous and community land rights
Integration Perspectives
Self-evidently, no single pathway can deliver net zero alone. Success requires consideration and subsequent integration of varied interdependencies. As such, trade-offs will exist between potential pathways – choices about speed, scale, sacrifice and emphasis will shape not only emissions outcomes but economic structure and community wellbeing.
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