IEA Report Marks Historic Inflection Point, Underscoring Need for Urgent Action to Develop Carbon Free Technologies

BOSTON (May 18, 2021) – The IEA released a special report today that charts the course for the global energy sector to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, marking “an historic inflection point in the global climate solutions debate,” said Clean Air Task Force Executive Director Armond Cohen.  

The report, Net-Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, explores what actions global governments and industries must take to decarbonize the energy sector to keep global warming below 1.5 Celsius.  

Cohen continued: 

“All scenarios and models are wrong, but some are useful. And this report is useful because it highlights the complexity of the problem, and the multiple solutions required to achieve the goal. Notably, the net zero emissions scenario relies heavily on the enormous potential for wind and solar to power electric grids, but also notes that firm, always-available power sources such as nuclear and carbon capture could be important parts of the mix, and that carbon capture could also be critical for management of industrial emissions and production of hydrogen. One message is that we need to be moving more quickly across all fronts, including these.”