What are the solutions?

Project Drawdown identified 100 climate change solutions and ranked them based on their potential to reduce greenhouse gases.

All of the solutions should be implemented, as no single solution will be enough.

Swipe and tap the solutions to explore.

#1 Refrigerant Management

Materials

The primary chemical refrigerant, HFCs, is a potent greenhouse gas. Emissions are avoided by managing leaks and disposal and by phasing out the use of HFCs.

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Refrigerant Management

Materials

Rank and results by 2050 #1

Reduced CO2: 90 gigatons
Net operational savings: $-902.77 billion
What do these numbers mean?

TOTAL CO2-EQ REDUCTION (GT)

Total CO2-equivalent reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2050 (gigatons)

NET COST (billions US $)

Net cost to implement

SAVINGS (billions US $)

Net savings by 2050

Impact:

Our analysis includes emissions reductions that can be achieved through the management and destruction of refrigerants already in circulation. Over thirty years, containing 87 percent of refrigerants likely to be released could avoid emissions equivalent to 89.7 gigatons of carbon dioxide. Phasing out HFCs per the Kigali accord could avoid additional emissions equivalent to 25 to 78 gigatons of carbon dioxide (not included in the total shown here). The operational costs of refrigerant leak avoidance and destruction are high, resulting in a projected net cost of $903 billion by 2050.

#36 Alternative Cement

Materials

Cement, a vital material for infrastructure, generates 5 to 6 percent of annual emissions. The key strategy to reduce them is to change its composition.

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Alternative Cement

Materials

Rank and results by 2050 #36

Reduced CO2: 7 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $-273.90
What do these numbers mean?

TOTAL CO2-EQ REDUCTION (GT)

Total CO2-equivalent reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2050 (gigatons)

NET COST (billions US $)

Net cost to implement

SAVINGS (billions US $)

Net savings by 2050

Impact:

Because fly ash is a by-product of burning coal, each ton created is accompanied by 15 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Using fly ash in cement can offset only 5 percent of those emissions. Even so, if 9 percent of cement produced between 2020 and 2050 is a blended mix of conventional Portland cement and 45 percent fly ash, 6.7 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions could be avoided by 2050. The production savings of $274 billion are largely a result of longer cement life span.

#46 Water Saving – Home

Materials

Cleaning, transporting, and heating water requires energy. More efficient fixtures and appliances can reduce home water use by 45 percent, thereby reducing emissions.

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Water Saving – Home

Materials

Rank and results by 2050 #46

Reduced CO2: 5 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $72.44
Net operational savings: $1,800.12 billion
What do these numbers mean?

TOTAL CO2-EQ REDUCTION (GT)

Total CO2-equivalent reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2050 (gigatons)

NET COST (billions US $)

Net cost to implement

SAVINGS (billions US $)

Net savings by 2050

Impact:

Ninety-five percent adoption of low-flow taps and showerheads by 2050 could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 4.6 gigatons, by reducing energy consumption for heating wasted water. Scaling other water-saving technologies would drive additional reductions. We model hot water only in order to calculate energy savings.

#47 Bioplastic

Materials

Ninety percent of plastics could be derived from plants instead of fossil fuels. Bioplastics can be biodegradable and often have lower emissions.

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Bioplastic

Materials

Rank and results by 2050 #47

Reduced CO2: 4 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $19.15
What do these numbers mean?

TOTAL CO2-EQ REDUCTION (GT)

Total CO2-equivalent reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2050 (gigatons)

NET COST (billions US $)

Net cost to implement

SAVINGS (billions US $)

Net savings by 2050

Impact:

We estimate the total production of plastics to grow from 311 million tons in 2014 to at least 792 million tons by 2050. This is conservative, with other sources estimating over 1 billion tons if trends continue. We model the aggressive growth of bioplastics to capture 49 percent of the market by 2050, avoiding 4.3 gigatons of emissions. While technical potential is even higher, this solution is constrained by limited biomass feedstock available without additional land conversion. The cost to produce bioplastics in this scenario is $19 billion over thirty years. While the financial costs are currently higher for producers, they are dropping quickly.

#55 Household Recycling

Materials

Household recycling can reduce emissions because producing new products from recovered materials often saves energy. It also reduces resource extraction and creates jobs.

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Household Recycling

Materials

Rank and results by 2050 #55

Reduced CO2: 3 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $366.92
Net operational savings: $71.13 billion
What do these numbers mean?

TOTAL CO2-EQ REDUCTION (GT)

Total CO2-equivalent reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2050 (gigatons)

NET COST (billions US $)

Net cost to implement

SAVINGS (billions US $)

Net savings by 2050

Impact:

The household and industrial recycling solutions were modeled together and include metals, plastic, glass, and other materials, such as rubber, textiles, and e-waste. Paper products and organic wastes are treated in separate waste management solutions. Emissions reductions stem from avoiding emissions associated with landfilling and from substituting recycled materials for virgin feedstock. With about 50 percent of recycled materials coming from households, if the average worldwide recycling rate increases to 65 percent of total recyclable waste, household recycling could avoid 2.8 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

#56 Industrial Recycling

Materials

Industrial recycling reduces emissions when new products are made from recovered materials, rather than virgin resources. It can also address the challenge of resource scarcity.

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Industrial Recycling

Materials

Rank and results by 2050 #56

Reduced CO2: 3 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $366.92
Net operational savings: $71.13 billion
What do these numbers mean?

TOTAL CO2-EQ REDUCTION (GT)

Total CO2-equivalent reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2050 (gigatons)

NET COST (billions US $)

Net cost to implement

SAVINGS (billions US $)

Net savings by 2050

Impact:

As mentioned above, household and industrial recycling were modeled together. The total additional implementation cost of both is estimated at $734 billion, with a net operational savings of $142 billion over thirty years. On average, 50 percent of recyclable materials come from industrial and commercial sectors. At a 65 percent recycling rate, the commercial and industrial sectors can avoid 2.8 gigatons of carbon dioxide by 2050.

#70 Recycled Paper

Materials

Half of paper is used once and then trashed. Recycling makes paper's journey circular, rather than a straight line from logging to landfill, which reduces emissions.

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Recycled Paper

Materials

Rank and results by 2050 #70

Reduced CO2: 1 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $573.48
What do these numbers mean?

TOTAL CO2-EQ REDUCTION (GT)

Total CO2-equivalent reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2050 (gigatons)

NET COST (billions US $)

Net cost to implement

SAVINGS (billions US $)

Net savings by 2050

Impact:

Over thirty years, recycled paper can deliver .9 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions reductions. Two key assumptions inform that conclusion: (1) recycled paper produces about 25 percent fewer total emissions than conventional paper, and (2) the percentage of recycled paper being used to produce paper would rise from 55 percent to 75 percent by 2050. Although increasing recycled paper content uses more electricity, the emissions related to harvesting and processing — and the total emissions from pulping and manufacturing — are higher for paper using virgin wood feedstock. The emissions reductions for this solution do not include carbon sequestration from standing trees that would not be harvested if the use of recycled paper grows.

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