Decarbonization is a vital part of ensuring a sustainable planet for future generations because it targets carbon dioxide (CO₂), our most prevalent greenhouse gas (GHG). So, we had to ask: What is decarbonization really, and how could it help us mitigate climate change?

Decarbonization means reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. We are not currently on track to decarbonize enough by 2050 to meet the Paris Climate Agreement targets. Experts have stressed we must go one step further and reduce all greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net zero.

Keep reading to find out all about what decarbonization is, how we can achieve it, why it is important to mitigate climate change, if we are on track to achieve it soon enough, how it relates to the Paris Climate Agreement, and how you can personally help to decarbonize the planet.

The Big Picture of Decarbonization

Decarbonization is one of the most common terms used when discussing climate change. Experts have deemed it necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change. 

What Does Decarbonization Mean

Decarbonization refers to the process of reducing carbon emissions, specifically carbon dioxide (CO₂).

“Decarbonization: the process of stopping or reducing carbon gasses, especially carbon dioxide, being released into the atmosphere as the result of a process, for example the burning of fossil fuels”

Cambridge Dictionary

When you hear the words “decarbonization”, think about the words “reducing carbon”. Decarbonizing our society involves reducing our consumption and switching to low-carbon emission technologies (e.g., renewable energy).

Essentially, decarbonization involves finding alternative ways of existing that produce fewer carbon emissions.

How Could We Achieve Decarbonization

Achieving decarbonization is a two-part approach.

• First, conventional mitigation techniques are used to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible;
• Second, carbon offsets are used to reduce emissions beyond what we can achieve through individual actions. 

Decarbonization focuses on reducing reliance on fossil fuels, which are responsible for approximately 36 billion tons of CO₂ emissions every year. Fossil fuels also have high carbon footprints, with oil emitting 970, coal 820, and natural gas 490 grams of CO₂ equivalent per kilowatt hour (gCO₂ per kWh) on a life-cycle basis.

In contrast, renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, tidal, wave, and biomass) has a carbon footprint ranging from 11 to 740 gCO₂ per kWh of electricity produced, depending on the source. 

Have a look at the illustration below to compare the average life-cycle CO₂ equivalent emissions from the different types of energy.

The second part of decarbonization includes the use of carbon offsets to balance out emissions that are hard to reduce or are unavoidable. When you hear the words “carbon offset”, think about the term “compensation”. Essentially, carbon offsets are reductions in carbon emissions that are used to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere. 

“Carbon Offset: a way for a company or person to reduce the level of carbon dioxide for which they are responsible by paying money to a company that works to reduce the total amount produced in the world, for example by planting trees”

Oxford Dictionary

They are measured in tons of carbon dioxide equivalents and are bought and sold through international brokers, online retailers, and trading platforms. 

Some of the most common carbon offsets include:

• Direct carbon/air capture
• Carbon mineralization
• Energy efficiency
• Waste management
• Reforestation
• Afforestation
• Blue carbon

Why Is Decarbonization Important to Mitigate Climate Change

Decarbonization is important because if we don’t reduce CO₂ emissions, global temperatures will continue to rise and exacerbate the negative side effects of climate change.

How is Climate Change Defined

Climate change is arguably the most severe, long-term global impact of CO₂. Every year, we emit approximately 37 billion tons of CO₂. The carbon found in fossil fuels reacts with oxygen in the air to produce CO₂. 

“Climate change: changes in the earth’s weather, including changes in temperature, wind patterns, and rainfall, especially the increase in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere that is caused by the increase of particular gasses, especially carbon dioxide.”

Oxford Dictionary

When carbon enters the atmosphere, it absorbs sunlight and solar radiation, trapping the heat and acting as an insulator for the planet.

Since the Industrial Revolution, Earth’s temperature has risen a little more than 1 degree Celsius (°C), or 2 degrees Fahrenheit (°F). Between 1880-1980 the global temperature rose by 0.07°C every 10 years. This rate has more than doubled since 1981, with a current global annual temperature rise of 0.18°C, or 0.32°F, for every 10 years.

How Does Decarbonization Specifically Help Mitigate Climate Change

The global average concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere today registers at over 400 parts per million, the highest ever recorded. Decarbonization can reduce this total and mitigate the following negative effects of climate change: 

• Increasing temperatures: Earth’s atmosphere has warmed 1.5°C since 1880. This may not seem like a lot, but these degrees create regional and seasonal temperature extremes, reduce sea ice, intensify rainfall and drought severity, and change habitat ranges for plants and animals.

• Rising sea levels: Global sea levels have increased approximately 8-9 inches since 1880, displacing people living along coastlines and destroying coastal habitats. Roads, bridges, subways, water supplies, oil and gas wells, power plants, sewage treatment plants, and landfills remain at risk if sea level rise goes unchecked. 

• Melting of sea ice: Since 1979, arctic sea ice has declined by 30%. Sea ice plays a major role in regulating the earth’s climate by reflecting sunlight into space and providing habitat for animal species. If all of the glaciers on Earth melted, sea levels would rise by approximately 70 feet, effectively flooding out every coastal city on the planet. 

• Changing precipitation patterns: Extreme weather events (e.g., hurricanes, floods, droughts) are becoming more common and more intense. Storm-affected areas will experience increased precipitation and flooding whereas areas located further from storm tracks will experience decreased precipitation and droughts.

• Ocean acidification: The ocean absorbs 30% of the CO₂ released into the atmosphere, which decreases the pH (increases the acidity) of the ocean. In the past 200 years, the pH of oceans has decreased by 0.1 pH units, which translates to a 30% increase in acidity. Aquatic life unable to adjust to this rapid acidification will die off. A prime example of this is coral bleaching, where coral expels the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues as a result of changes in temperature, light, or nutrients. 

Experts claim that to avoid a future plagued by rising sea levels, acidified oceans, loss of biodiversity, more frequent and severe weather events, and other environmental disasters brought on by the hotter temperatures, we must limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2040. 

The more we reduce CO₂ emissions, the more we slow the rate of temperature rise, sea-level rise, ice melting, and ocean acidification. When these rates are slowed, the earth’s biodiversity does not have to struggle to adapt to temperature and pH changes. People will not be displaced due to the flooding of coastal areas. And icebergs will continue to provide climate regulation. 

Are We on Track to Achieve Decarbonization Soon Enough

We are not currently on track to reach decarbonization by 2050, the target date identified in the Paris Climate Agreement. CO₂ emissions are predicted to continue to rise despite global, growing momentum and support for the decarbonization movement. 

What Is the Current Projection of Carbon Emissions

The concentration of atmospheric CO₂ is currently 50% higher than pre-industrial levels, measuring over 400 parts per million. And under current conditions, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (including CO₂) are projected to increase by 9% by 2030.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the largest decrease in energy-related carbon emissions since World War II, a decrease of 2 billion tons. However, emissions rebounded quickly at the end of 2020, with levels in December ending 60 million tons higher than those in December 2019. This indicates that the earth is still warming at an accelerated rate, and not enough is being done to mitigate climate change.

What Needs to Happen to Achieve Decarbonization in Time

Achieving decarbonization in time will require us to drastically cut carbon emissions across all sectors of the world’s economy, including the energy, transportation, and food industries. 

Decarbonization includes ceasing the use of fossil fuels and switching to low-carbon energy sources, reducing deforestation and food waste, and investing in clean energy and energy efficiency. 

We can also decarbonize via the use of carbon offsets. Carbon offsets play an important role in mitigating the effects of global climate change by reducing carbon emissions beyond what we can achieve through individual actions. 

Two of the most effective technological GHG removal solutions are direct carbon capture and carbon mineralization. 

• Direct carbon capture company Climeworks has technology that pulls CO₂ from the air whilst their carbon mineralization partner, Carbfix, turns captured CO₂ into stone by dissolving it in water and injecting it underground where it reacts with basalt rock to form solid minerals. The process locks away CO₂ for thousands of years with no long-term monitoring required.

Some of the most effective natural carbon removal solutions are reforestation, afforestation, and blue carbon.

• Carbon removal involving reforestation and afforestation takes advantage of trees’ and soils’ ability to absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it in leaves, trunks, roots, or soil. Our forests alone act as a giant carbon sink capable of absorbing a net 7.6 billion tons of CO₂ per year.
• Carbon removal involving blue carbon takes advantage of mangrove trees’ ability to absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it in their vegetation and surrounding soil. However, the real carbon storage potential in blue carbon ecosystems is underground, with 50–99% of the carbon stored in the soil underground. 

Is There a Global Effort to Reach Decarbonization

Experts have stressed that reducing just CO₂ emissions will be insufficient to mitigate climate change in the long term. Instead, the focus has shifted towards achieving net zero. 

Whereas decarbonization focuses only on balancing CO₂ emissions, net zero aims to balance all GHGs [CO₂, methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and fluorinated gasses (F-gasses)] entering and exiting our atmosphere.

Net zero is now the internationally agreed-upon goal for mitigating global warming in the second half of the 21^st century. 

As the climate crisis continues to worsen, momentum and support for the global decarbonization effort continue to grow. Over 9,000 companies, 1,000 cities, 1,000 educational institutions, and 600 financial institutions have joined the cause and pledged immediate action to cut global emissions by 50% by 2030.

Which Countries Have Decarbonization Targets

In recognizing the severity of the current climate crisis, many countries have gone above decarbonization and have pledged to become net zero. To date, over 140 countries have stated a net zero target, covering roughly 88% of the world’s GHG emissions. 

The countries with some of the most ambitious decarbonization targets include:

• Finland: Achieve decarbonization by 2035
• Austria: Achieve decarbonization by 2040
• Sweden: Cut GHG emissions by 59% by 2030 and achieve decarbonization by 2045
• United Kingdom: Cut GHG emissions by 68% by 2030 and achieve decarbonization by 2050
• Iceland: Cut GHG emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve decarbonization by 2050
• New Zealand: Achieve decarbonization by 2050
• France: Achieve decarbonization by 2050

Climate Watch has also developed a net zero tracker that shows each country’s policy documents, their GHG emission targets, and steps they have taken to achieve decarbonization. 

Decarbonization and the Paris Climate Agreement

The Paris Climate Agreement (PCA) is the most well-known piece of legally binding, global, international climate mitigation legislation. It aims to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius (°C), preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. 

You can check out the highlights of the 2015 COP21 directly from the UN Climate Change channel here:

The PCA dictates we must cut current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030 and reach decarbonization by 2050 to prevent the worst effects of climate change. 

Does the Paris Climate Agreement Commit Countries to Achieve Decarbonization

The Paris Climate Agreement (PCA) commits all member nations to decarbonize. It also goes one step further and marks the beginning of a shift towards a net-zero emissions world by laying out a framework to limit temperature rise to below 2°C.

In the short term, the PCA requires member parties to produce Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), or national climate action plans specific to that party. NDCs dictate actions a party will take to reduce GHG emissions in accordance with PCA goals. Every 5 years, there is an evaluation of collective efforts towards achieving the goals of the PCA and to plan further actions.

In the long term, the PCA sets goals to guide all parties to:

• Limit global warming to below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C
• Keep track of the collective progress of all parties towards achieving the purpose of the PCA
• Provide financing for developing countries to mitigate climate change

In terms of accountability, there are no hard enforcement measures (e.g., financial penalties) associated with the PCA. Although there are mandatory measures for monitoring, verification, and public reporting of climate mitigation progress for each party, the PCA largely relies on international cooperation and peer pressure to prevent any hypothetical “dragging of feet”.

Which Legislations Are Put In Place to Help Achieve Decarbonization

The most well-known and encompassing piece of legislation put in place to achieve decarbonization is the Paris Climate Agreement (PCA), which emphasizes we must cut current GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 and reach decarbonization by 2050 to avoid the worst climate impacts. 

Race to Zero is a global campaign backed by the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change (UNFCCC) with the same end goals as the PCA. But whereas the PCA is composed of nations, Race to Zero comprises non-state actors (e.g., companies, cities, financial/educational/healthcare institutions). To date, over 13,000 members have joined the campaign to race towards decarbonization and a more sustainable future.

Decarbonization relies heavily on switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, which the PCA also identifies as a critical part of meeting its goals. There are many global and country-specific policies and organizations aimed at increasing the use of renewable resources (e.g., solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, tidal, wave, and biomass) including:

• 1974 – The International Energy Agency (IEA): The IEA was founded in response to the major oil disruptions in 1974. It promotes international energy cooperation and is made up of 31 member countries. 

• 1988 – The International Geothermal Association (IGA): The IGA is a leading, global organization that promotes geothermal energy as a vital part of the transition away from fossil fuels. Today, the IGA has over 5,000 members and 30 affiliate organizations.

• 1995 – The International Hydropower Association (IHA): The IHA is a nonprofit membership association that serves as a global voice for hydropower energy. They operate in over 120 countries and manage over 1/3^rd of global installed hydropower capacity.

• 2005 – Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC): The GWEC was founded as an international trade association for the wind energy industry. Their members represent 99% of the global installed wind power capacity.

• 2008 – World Bioenergy Association (WBA): The World Bioenergy Association was founded to sustainably develop bioenergy globally and promote the business environment of bioenergy. 

• 2009 – The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): IRENA was founded as a global intergovernmental agency focused on scaling renewable energy. It is comprised of 167 member countries as well as the European Union.

• 2013 – Ocean Energy Europe (OEE): They are the largest global network of marine energy professionals, with over 120 member organizations. They aim to advance tidal and wave energy technologies. 

• 2015 – International Solar Alliance (ISA): The ISA is a treaty-based organization established to create cooperation among solar energy-resource-rich countries and the rest of the world. There are currently 94 member countries.

• 2023 – Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA): The GBA was launched at the G20 summit as an alliance between 19 countries and 12 international organizations to advance the development of sustainable biofuels. 

If you are interested in learning more about country-specific renewable energy policies, you can visit the IEA’s policies database and filter by specific energy type.

How You Can Personally Help to Achieve Decarbonization

Decarbonization can instigate meaningful environmental change and begin to reverse some of the effects of climate change because it reduces the amount of CO₂ entering our atmosphere. In turn, this slows the rate of global warming.

One of the easiest and most meaningful ways to contribute to the decarbonization movement is to reduce your carbon footprint. These reduction measures don’t have to involve drastic changes either. Actions that may seem small can have a big impact because those small changes add up! You can directly reduce your carbon footprint in three main areas of your life: household, travel, and lifestyle. 

Reduce your household footprint:

• Wash with cold water: Washing clothes in cold water could reduce carbon emissions by up to 11 million tons. Approximately 90% of the energy is used to heat the water, so switching to cold saves also saves energy.

• Replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent bulbs: Fluorescent bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescent ones, saving energy and thus reducing electricity demand and GHG emissions.

Reduce your travel footprint:

• Fly less: Aviation accounts for around 1.9% of global carbon emissions and 2.5% of CO₂. Aircraft run on jet gasoline, which is converted to CO₂ when burned.

• Walk or bike when possible: The most efficient ways of traveling are walking, bicycling, or taking the train. Using a bike instead of a car can reduce carbon emissions by 75%. These forms of transportation also provide lower levels of air pollution.

Reduce your lifestyle footprint:

• Switch to renewable energy sources: The six most common types of renewable energy are solar, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass energy. They are a substitute for fossil fuels that can reduce the effects of global warming by limiting global carbon emissions and other pollutants.

• Recycle: Recycling uses less energy and deposits less waste in landfills. Less manufacturing and transportation energy costs means less carbon emissions generated. Less waste in landfills means less CH₄ is generated.

• Switch from single-use to sustainable products: Reusing products avoids resource extraction, reduces energy use, reduces waste generation, and can prevent littering.

• Eat less meat and dairy: Meat and dairy account for 14.5% of global GHG emissions, with beef and lamb being the most carbon-intensive. Globally, we consume much more meat than is considered sustainable, and switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet could reduce emissions. 

• Take shorter showers: Approximately 1.2 trillion gallons of water are used each year in the United States just for showering purposes, and showering takes up about 17% of residential water usage. The amount of water consumed and the energy cost of that consumption are directly related. The less water we use the less energy we use. And the less energy we use, the less of a negative impact we have on the environment.

After reducing your carbon footprint as much as possible, you can then turn to carbon offsets. But with thousands of different offsets and offset companies to choose from, how can we buy carbon offsets that will make a difference? 

Purchasing carbon offset projects that are additional, permanent, effective, meet key criteria and project standards, and do not engage in greenwashing can actually make a difference. Climeworks, Terrapass, Gold Standard, and Ecologi are just some of the organizations with the best carbon offset projects.

Final Thoughts

Decarbonization refers to the process of reducing carbon emissions, specifically carbon dioxide (CO₂). Achieving decarbonization is a two-part approach. First, conventional mitigation techniques are used to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible. Second, carbon offsets are used to reduce emissions beyond what we can achieve through individual actions. 

We are not currently on track to reach decarbonization by 2050, the target date identified in the Paris Climate Agreement. In addition, experts have stressed that reducing just CO₂ emissions will be insufficient, we must target all GHGs to achieve net zero. Net zero is now the internationally agreed-upon goal for mitigating global warming in the second half of the 21^st century.

One of the easiest and most meaningful ways to contribute to decarbonization is to reduce your personal carbon footprint. Small actions add up, such as washing in cold water, switching to renewable energy, or eating less meat. 

Stay impactful,

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