To avoid significant global disruption, scientists assert that global warming must be kept below a 2-degree Celsius rise from pre-industrial levels?a goal formalized in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Meeting that challenge will require near total decarbonization of global economic activity by 2060.
Electricity generation and heat production account for a quarter of greenhouse gases emitted globally. Renewables, led by wind and solar, hold the promise of a clean-energy future, but it will still take decades before we can fully replace fossil fuels. This briefing summarizes the key findings from the report titled Path to 2060: Decarbonizing the Electric Utility Industry. The report reviews four zero-carbon generation technologies - nuclear, hydropower, wind, and solar - and discusses their role in the future clean energy mix. It also identifies the accelerators and probable roadblocks to decarbonizing this sector by 2060.
