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.

#26 Electric Vehicles

Transport

Electric vehicles are the cars of the future. If powered by solar energy, their carbon dioxide emissions drop by 95 percent compared to gasoline-powered vehicles.

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Electric Vehicles

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #26

Reduced CO2: 11 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $14,148.00
Net operational savings: $9,726.40 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:

In 2014, 305,000 EVs were sold. If EV ownership rises to 16 percent of total passenger miles by 2050, 10.8 gigatons of carbon dioxide from fuel combustion could be avoided. Our analysis accounts for emissions from electricity generation and higher emissions of producing EVs compared to internal-combustion cars. We include slightly declining EV prices, expected due to declining battery costs.

#32 Ships

Transport

Shipping produces 3 percent of global emissions. Fuel-saving ship design, onboard technologies, and practices can have a sizable impact, because of huge shipping volumes.

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Ships

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #32

Reduced CO2: 8 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $915.93
Net operational savings: $424.38 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:

With an efficiency gain of 50 percent across the international shipping industry, 7.9 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions can be avoided by 2050. That could save $424 billion in fuel costs over thirty years and $1 trillion over the life of the ships.

#37 Mass Transit

Transport

Riding a streetcar, bus, or subway — rather than driving a car or hailing a cab — averts greenhouse gases, relieves traffic congestion, and reduces air pollution.

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Mass Transit

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #37

Reduced CO2: 7 gigatons
Net operational savings: $2,379.73 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:

Use of mass transit is projected to decline from 37 percent of urban travel to 21 percent as the low-income world gains wealth. If use grows instead to 40 percent of urban travel by 2050, this solution can save 6.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions from cars. Our analysis includes diverse mass transit options (bus, metro, tram, and commuter rail) and examines the costs that travelers pay (car purchase and use compared to buying transit tickets).

#40 Trucks

Transport

Road freight is responsible for about 6 percent of global emissions. Increasing fuel efficiency in both new trucks and existing fleets can significantly reduce emissions.

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Trucks

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #40

Reduced CO2: 6 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $543.54
Net operational savings: $2,781.63 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:

If adoption of fuel-saving technologies grows from 2 percent to 85 percent of trucks by 2050, this solution can deliver 6.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions reductions. An investment of $544 billion to implement could save $2.8 trillion on fuel costs over thirty years.

#43 Airplanes

Transport

The airline industry produces at minimum 2.5 percent of emissions, and it is growing. Fuel efficiency measures are on the rise to reduce that impact.

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Airplanes

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #43

Reduced CO2: 5 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $662.42
Net operational savings: $3,187.80 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:

This analysis focuses on adoption of the latest and most fuel-efficient aircraft; retrofitting existing aircraft with winglets, newer engines, and lighter interiors; and retiring older aircraft early. Over thirty years, 5.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions can be avoided, saving $3.2 trillion on jet-fuel and operating costs. Other efficiency measures could provide additional emissions reductions and savings.

#49 Hybrid Cars

Transport

Hybrid cars pair an electric motor and battery with an internal combustion engine. The combination makes them more efficient, improving fuel economy and lowering emissions.

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Hybrid Cars

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #49

Reduced CO2: 4 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $-598.69
Net operational savings: $1,761.72 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:

Under some business-as-usual projections, 23 million hybrid vehicles will be in operation in 2050, less than 1 percent of the car market. We estimate growth in 2050 to reach 6 percent of the market, or 315 million hybrid vehicles. Those additional 315 million cars can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 4 gigatons by 2050, saving owners $1.76 trillion in fuel and operating costs over three decades.

#63 Telepresence

Transport

Telepresence integrates high-performance visual, audio, and network technologies to enable people who are geographically separated to interact. By reducing travel, it can reduce emissions.

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Telepresence

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #63

Reduced CO2: 2 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $127.72
Net operational savings: $1,310.59 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:

By avoiding emissions from business air travel, telepresence can reduce emissions by 2 gigatons of carbon dioxide over thirty years. That result assumes that over 140 million business-related trips are replaced by telepresence in 2050. For organizations, the investment in telepresence systems pays off with $1.3 trillion worth of savings and 82 billion fewer unproductive travel hours.

#66 High-speed Rail

Transport

High-speed rail is the fastest way to travel distances between 100 to 700 miles. Compared to driving or flying, it reduces emissions up to 90 percent.

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High-speed Rail

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #66

Reduced CO2: 2 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $1,038.42
Net operational savings: $368.10 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:

If HSR construction and ridership continue at their projected pace, this solution can deliver 1.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions reductions by 2050. A global network of 64,000 miles of track, with an average trip length of 186 miles, could support 6 to 7 billion riders annually. Regionally, most impact will come from Asia, especially China. If HSR is concentrated between cities with heavy, short-haul flight routes, impact can be greater. Implementation comes at a steep cost of $1 trillion. Operational savings over thirty years, however, are $368 billion and $1.3 trillion over the lifetime of HSR infrastructure.

#69 Electric Bikes

Transport

Electric bikes get a boost from a small battery-powered motor. They are the most environmentally sound means of motorized transport in the world today.

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Electric Bikes

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #69

Reduced CO2: 1 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $106.75
Net operational savings: $226.07 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:

In 2014, e-bike riders traveled around 249 billion miles, largely in China. Based on market research, we project travel can increase to 1.2 trillion miles per year by 2050. Shifting from cars will drive that growth, which promises to be greatest across Asia and in higher-income countries. This solution could reduce 1 gigaton of carbon dioxide emissions and save e-bike owners $226 billion by 2050.

#74 Trains

Transport

Most trains are powered by diesel-burning engines. Technology and operations can improve fuel efficiency, and rail electrification has the potential to provide nearly emissions-free transport.

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Trains

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #74

Reduced CO2: 1 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $808.64
Net operational savings: $313.86 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:

Globally, electrification of rail comprises 166,000 miles of track length. If that increases to 621,000 miles by 2050, emissions from fuel use for freight operations alone can be reduced by 0.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide. This additional electrification could cost $809 billion, saving $314 billion over thirty years and $775 billion over the lifetime of the infrastructure. Prioritizing high-usage corridors can lower net costs.

#75 Ridesharing

Transport

Ridesharing pairs drivers and riders who share common origins, destinations, or stops en route. When trips are pooled, people split costs, ease traffic, and curtail emissions.

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Ridesharing

Transport

Rank and results by 2050 #75

Net operational savings: $185.56 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 projection for ridesharing focuses solely on people commuting to work in the United States and Canada, where rates of car ownership and driving alone are high. We assume that carpooling rises from 10 percent of car commuters in 2015 to 15 percent by 2050, and from an average of 2.3 to 2.5 people per carpool. Ridesharing has no implementation costs and can reduce emissions by 0.3 gigatons of car- bon dioxide.

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