Introducing: The Net-Zero Brief
An accelerated transition to a net-zero economy is critical. But how do we get there? In this first article of The Net-Zero Brief, we will set the stage for an exploration of this complex question.
We are undoubtedly in a decisive decade. The summer of 2023 was the hottest Northern Hemisphere summer in recorded history and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared that “climate breakdown has begun”. Warnings related to global warming are coming from all directions. Biologists predict that we will see an unprecedented mass coral bleaching in 2024 due to record-high sea temperatures, and the World Economic Forum (WEF) reports that environmental risks dominate the global risk landscape both over the short and long term.
The urgency for addressing climate change and transitioning to a net-zero future is growing, yet the path forward remains uncertain. Decarbonizing the economy involves countless barriers and requires systemic changes at scale. The challenge can seem daunting to say the least, but we still have the opportunity to set us on a considerably more positive trajectory. “The future is not fixed”, as Saadia Zahidi, managing director at World Economic Forum, puts it in the preface of the Global Risks Report 2024. “A multiplicity of different futures is conceivable over the next decade. Although this drives uncertainty in the short term, it also allows room for hope.”
Despite the many challenges, there are definitely glimpses of light. Critical climate technologies are reaching key milestones and investments in renewable energy are accelerating. The ambition of this newsletter is to shed light on the innovations, solutions, and strategies that people all over the world are developing to drive the transition to net-zero. What technologies will play major roles? How can we tackle market structures that stand in the way? And what will a net-zero society even look like?
“The future is not fixed. A multiplicity of different futures is conceivable over the next decade. Although this drives uncertainty in the short term, it also allows room for hope.”
Saadia Zahidi, Global Risks Report 2024 (WEF)
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