Tech advances are slowly progressing toward reducing climate change, but more advancements must happen to reach net-zero goals.
Key Details
- To reach climate change goals, experts say existing tech needs to be accelerated, smaller systems need to be expanded, and tech in early development needs to be boosted.
- To reach net-zero emissions by 2050, about 80% of emissions cuts needed through 2030 would come from technologies already on the market, according to an International Energy Agency analysis.
- Nearly 45% of the cuts needed by 2050 will result from developments of new technology that is still in the developmental phase.
Why it’s news
Climate change has been a hot topic around the world as many companies have been working to develope technology to combat climate change.
Many current tech is helping reduce warming including solar power, wind turbines, and electric vehicles (EVs), but many experts say although these technologies are helping more needs to be done.
It took years to perfect the current technology that is being used today and to reach the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 there isn’t much time to perfect more climate tech.
There are many climate-changing technologies that are on the verge of being completed that are needed to reach net zero goals. Many experts say the technologies currently under development could be the key needed to immensely cut back on emissions.
One thing still in development that many think could be an essential part of the climate change game is “direct air capture,” which is the act of removing CO2 that’s already in the atmosphere.
“We need to figure out a way to remove methane from the atmosphere. That’s an R&D problem that I think we should pay attention to,” says Stanford energy expert Arun Majumdar.
No one singular technology will be able to save the world from climate change, but as more tech progresses and works together the faster it will help reach net-zero goals.
