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.

#6 Educating Girls

Women and Girls

Education lays a foundation for vibrant lives for girls and women, their families, and their communities. It also avoids emissions by curbing population growth.

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Educating Girls

Women and Girls

Rank and results by 2050 #6

Reduced CO2: 60 gigatons
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:

Two solutions influence family size and global population: educating girls and family planning. Because the exact dynamic between these solutions is impossible to determine, our models allocate 50 percent of the total potential impact to each. We assume that these impacts result from thirteen years of schooling, including primary through secondary education. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, by closing an annual financing gap of $39 billion, universal education in low- and lower-middle-income countries can be achieved. It could result in 59.6 gigatons of emissions reduced by 2050. The return on that investment is incalculable.

#7 Family Planning

Women and Girls

Securing women's right to voluntary, high-quality family planning dramatically improves the health and well-being of women and their children. It also avoids emissions.

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Family Planning

Women and Girls

Rank and results by 2050 #7

Reduced CO2: 60 gigatons
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:

Increased adoption of reproductive healthcare and family planning is an essential component to achieve the United Nations’ 2015 medium global population projection of 9.7 billion people by 2050. If investment in family planning, particularly in low-income countries, does not materialize, the world’s population could come closer to the high projection, adding another 1 billion people to the planet. We model the impact of this solution based on the difference in how much energy, building space, food, waste, and transportation would be used in a world with little to no investment in family planning, compared to one in which the projection of 9.7 billion is realized. The resulting emissions reductions could be 119.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide, at an average annual cost of $10.77 per user in low-income countries. Because educating girls has an important impact on the use of family planning, we allocate 50 percent of the total potential emissions reductions to each solution—59.6 gigatons a piece.

#62 Women Smallholders

Women and Girls

If women smallholders receive equal farming resources and land rights, their yields will rise by 20 to 30 percent, avoiding emissions from deforestation.

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Women Smallholders

Women and Girls

Rank and results by 2050 #62

Reduced CO2: 2 gigatons
Net operational savings: $87.60 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 solution models reduced emissions from avoided deforestation, resulting from increasing the yield of women smallholders. Based on literature in the field, we assume yield per plot can rise by 26 percent, if women’s access to finance and resources comes closer to parity with men’s. If women managing 98 million acres receive equal assistance and achieve that 26 percent gain, this solution could reduce 2.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide by 2050.

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