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PostMay 20, 2021

Half of the world’s emissions cuts will require tech that isn’t commercially available

Carbon capture machine near green field

If the world hopes to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions by midcentury, nearly half the cuts will have to come from technologies that are only in early stages today, writes James Temple for the MIT Technology Review.

That finding, in a report from the International Energy Agency released Tuesday, points to the need for aggressive investment in research, development, and scale-up of clean energy technologies.

The IEA’s road map for eliminating energy-related emissions by 2050—and offering a shot at capping global temperatures increases at 1.5 ˚C—includes substantial roles for technologies that barely exist or are far too expensive today. These include batteries packed with far more energy, clean hydrogen as a fuel or feedstock for industrial processes, liquid biofuels for aviation, and equipment that cheaply captures carbon dioxide emissions from factories and gas- or coal-fueled power plants.

Read the full article at: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/05/18/1025027/half-of-emissions-cuts-require-tech-innovation-climate-change-net-zero/

Image credits: Orjan Ellingvag / Alamy Stock Photo

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by MIT Technology Review
Topics
Energy
Batteries, Storage & Transmission
Renewable Energy
Finance & Economics

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