Ramping up the deployment of clean technologies and phasing out carbon-intensive activities relies on well-designed, effective government support. Pathfinders serves as a basic resource for policymakers and other key stakeholders designing decarbonization strategies.
Total global emissions, excluding LUCF,
1990 - 2021.
Source: Climate Watch Historical GHG Emissions. 2022. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute. Available online at: https://www.climatewatchdata.org/ghg-emissions
With a few exceptions, greenhouse gas emissions have been growing over the past 30 years.
With this tool, we illustrate which markets have emitted the most historically, as well as just in the past year. Some markets like the US and China have both the highest cumulative emissions and continue to emit at the highest rates – the onus falls on these markets to rapidly decarbonize.
Less emissions
More emissions
Below, you can find these emissions broken down by sector to show governments where they should prioritize their decarbonization strategies and compare their impact to other markets.
This section is showing emissions (in MtCO2e) by sector in 2020. This chart takes into account BNEF’s Pathfinders sectors, namely Power and Grids + Buildings, Industry and Materials, Transport,and Agriculture. Each sector was mapped to the ClimateWatch sectors.
The gray circle includes Waste and Fugitive emissions, as well as LUCF depending on the chosen setting. Toggle to include or exclude LUCF in the other emissions. For some countries, LUCF represent a large proportion of their emissions. However, Pathfinders focuses on the five major emitting sectors listed above.
The size of the circle corresponds to the volume of GHG emissions coming from the particular sector it represents.
Power and Grids + Buildings
Industry and Materials
Transport
Agriculture
Other
Use this tool to easily compare the emissions impact of several markets simultaneously to evaluate and understand how governments’ priorities should differ when designing decarbonization strategies.
The magnitude of climate change can make it difficult to discern how best to address the problem. The good news is that effective solutions have been tested and proven already in cities, states and nations around the globe. Many of these are now ready to be implemented in other contexts and at far greater scale. This report breaks the climate challenge down into the four pillars of net-zero strategies and describes crucial solutions to address these challenges.
Pillar 1
Accelerate deployment of mature climate solutions
Pillar 2
Support development of new climate solutions
Pillar 3
Phase out carbon-intensive activities
Pillar 4
Create appropriate climate transition governance
Stakeholders
Companies
The private sector can help unlock new low carbon markets. In addition to providing asset financing. The private sector can also communicate guidelines for factors that make projects more appealing to investors.
Consumers
Public acceptance and understanding of clean alternatives is fundamental to ensuring fast deployment of green technologies and solutions.
Financials
Replicating proven private investment models in more mature markets is fundamental to accelerate deployment of today’s net-zero technologies.
The pillars of net-zero strategy are relevant for all major emitting sectors of the economy and key stakeholder groups in the race to zero. They encompass: 1. Accelerating deployment of mature climate solutions 2. Supporting the development of new climate solutions 3. Phasing out of carbon-intensive activities 4. Creating appropriate climate transition governance structures
Without immediate action, the carbon budget for 1.5C warming above pre-industrial levels will rapidly be depleted. Identifying, replicating and scaling policy measures with demonstrated impact is thus critical. Pathfinders outlines actionable solutions that could accelerate progress by 2030, while also laying the foundation for decarbonizing harder-to-abate sectors in the years to come.
These actions target the financial institutions, consumers and companies that need to transition their activities, as well as the different levels of government that must lead the way.
Through trial and error, governments and others have been testing low-carbon policies for more than two decades. Pathfinders therefore highlights ‘best practices’ – that is, tried-and-true programs that have proved effective at driving decarbonization, as well as newer measures with high potential for future impact.
Group by