The world still has a carbon budget of around 500 Gt CO2. This budget is meant to limit global warming to 1.5C with a probability of 50%, according to the WGIII. Meaning, 500 Gt CO2 is the amount of carbon that can be emitted to have a “coin-toss” chance of staying within the crucial 1.5oC global warming target set out in the Paris Agreement. For comparison, between 2010 and 2019, human-induced emissions equalled roughly 400 Gt of CO2. Drastic emission reduction and eventual decrease in total carbon in the atmosphere are crucial. To reach this 1.5oC goal, the world must peak its emissions in 2025, half emissions in 2030, and be net-zero by 2050 at the latest.
The good news is that the technology and possible solutions to stay within the outlined boundaries are already available & feasible. Solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy is available, cost-effective, and sustainable in ways that can be used to replace most fossil-fuel energy sources. All that needs to be done, is to implement them as fast and as broadly as possible. In the following paragraphs, we will touch upon the core IPCC findings in more detail, outlining crucial areas of focus.