Net Zero

by 2050
A Roadmap for the
Global Energy
Sector
Net Zero
by 2050
A Roadmap for the
Global Energy Sector
Net Zero by 2050 Interactive
iea.li/nzeroadmap

Net Zero by 2050 Data

iea.li/nzedata
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY
AGENCY
The IEA examines the IEA member IEA association
full spectrum countries: countries:
of energy issues
including oil, gas and Australia Brazil
coal supply and Austria China
demand, renewable Belgium India
energy technologies, Canada Indonesia
electricity markets, Czech Republic Morocco
energy efficiency, Denmark Singapore
access to energy, Estonia South Africa
demand side Finland Thailand
management and France
much more. Through Germany
its work, the IEA Greece
advocates policies Hungary
that will enhance the Ireland
reliability, affordability Italy
and sustainability of Japan
energy in its Korea
30 member Luxembourg
countries, Mexico
8 association Netherlands
countries and New Zealand
beyond. Norway
Poland
Portugal
Please note that this Slovak Republic
publication is subject to
specific restrictions that limit
Spain
its use and distribution. The Sweden
terms and conditions are Switzerland
available online at
www.iea.org/t&c/
Turkey
This publication and any United Kingdom
map included herein are United States
without prejudice to the
status of or sovereignty over
any territory, to the The European
delimitation of international Commission also
frontiers and boundaries and
to the name of any territory,
participates in the
city or area. work of the IEA

Source: IEA. All rights

reserved.
International Energy Agency
Website: www.iea.org

Revised version,
May 2021.
Information notice
found at: www.iea.org/
corrections
Reaching net-zero
emissions globally
by 2050
is a critical and
formidable goal

IEA Net Zero Roadmap to 2050

Interactive iea.li/nzeroadmap
 Summary for Policy Makers

The energy sector is the source of around three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions
today and holds the key to averting the worst effects of climate change, perhaps
the greatest challenge humankind has faced. Reducing global carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions to net zero by 2050 is consistent with efforts to limit the long-term increase
in average global temperatures to 1.5˚C. This calls for nothing less than a complete
transformation of how we produce, transport and consume energy. The growing political
consensus on reaching net zero is cause for considerable optimism about the progress
the world can make, but the changes required to reach net-zero emissions globally by
2050 are poorly understood. A huge amount of work is needed to turn today’s impressive
ambitions into reality, especially given the range of different situations among countries
and their differing capacities to make the necessary changes. This special IEA report sets
out a pathway for achieving this goal, resulting in a clean and resilient energy system
that would bring major benefits for human prosperity and well-being.

The global pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050 detailed in this report requires all
governments to significantly strengthen and then successfully implement their energy
and climate policies. Commitments made to date fall far short of what is required by
that pathway. The number of countries that have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions
has grown rapidly over the last year and now covers around 70% of global emissions of
CO2. This is a huge step forward. However, most pledges are not yet underpinned by
near-term policies and measures. Moreover, even if successfully fulfilled, the pledges
to date would still leave around 22 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions worldwide in 2050.
The continuation of that trend would be consistent with a temperature rise in 2100 of
around 2.1 °C. Global emissions fell in 2020 because of the Covid-19 crisis but are already
rebounding strongly as economies recover. Further delay in acting to reverse that trend
will put net zero by 2050 out of reach.

In this Summary for Policy Makers, we outline the essential conditions for the global
energy sector to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. The pathway described in depth
in this report achieves this objective with no offsets from outside the energy sector, and
with low reliance on negative emissions technologies. It is designed to maximise technical
feasibility, cost-effectiveness and social acceptance while ensuring continued economic
growth and secure energy supplies. We highlight the priority actions that are needed
today to ensure the opportunity of net zero by 2050 – narrow but still achievable – is not
lost. The report provides a global view, but countries do not start in the same place or
finish at the same time: advanced economies have to reach net zero before emerging
markets and developing economies, and assist others in getting there. We also recognise
that the route mapped out here is a path, not necessarily the path, and so we examine
some key uncertainties, notably concerning the roles played by bioenergy, carbon
capture and behavioural changes. Getting to net zero will involve countless decisions by
people across the world, but our primary aim is to inform the decisions made by policy
makers, who have the greatest scope to move the world closer to its climate goals.
IEA. All rights reserved.

Summary for Policy Makers 2

Net zero by 2050 hinges on an
unprecedented clean technology
push to 2030
The path to net-zero emissions is narrow: staying on it requires immediate and massive
deployment of all available clean and efficient energy technologies. In the net-zero
emissions pathway presented in this report, the world economy in 2030 is some 40%
larger than today but uses 7% less energy. A major worldwide push to increase energy
efficiency is an essential part of these efforts, resulting in the annual rate of energy
intensity improvements averaging 4% to 2030 – about three-times the average rate
achieved over the last two decades. Emissions reductions from the energy sector are
not limited to CO2: in our pathway, methane emissions from fossil fuel supply fall by 75%
over the next ten years as a result of a global, concerted effort to deploy all available
abatement measures and technologies.

Ever-cheaper renewable energy technologies give electricity the edge in the race to
zero. Our pathway calls for scaling up solar and wind rapidly this decade, reaching annual
additions of 630 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) and 390 GW of wind by
2030, four-times the record levels set in 2020. For solar PV, this is equivalent to installing
the world’s current largest solar park roughly every day. Hydropower and nuclear, the
two largest sources of low-carbon electricity today, provide an essential foundation for
transitions. As the electricity sector becomes cleaner, electrification emerges as a crucial
economy-wide tool for reducing emissions. Electric vehicles (EVs) go from around 5% of
global car sales to more than 60% by 2030.

3 International Energy Agency | Special Report

 Summary for Policy Makers

Priority action: Make the 2020s the decade of

massive clean energy expansion

All the technologies needed to achieve the necessary deep cuts in

global emissions by 2030 already exist, and the policies that can drive
their deployment are already proven.

As the world continues to grapple with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic,
it is essential that the resulting wave of investment and spending to support
economic recovery is aligned with the net zero pathway. Policies should
be strengthened to speed the deployment of clean and efficient energy
technologies. Mandates and standards are vital to drive consumer spending
and industry investment into the most efficient technologies. Targets and
competitive auctions can enable wind and solar to accelerate the electricity
sector transition. Fossil fuel subsidy phase-outs, carbon pricing and other
market reforms can ensure appropriate price signals. Policies should limit
or provide disincentives for the use of certain fuels and technologies, such
as unabated coal-fired power stations, gas boilers and conventional internal
combustion engine vehicles. Governments must lead the planning and
incentivising of the massive infrastructure investment, including in smart
transmission and distribution grids.

Key clean technologies ramp up by 2030 in the net zero pathway

Note: MJ = megajoule; GDP = gross domestic product in purchasing power parity.

IEA. All rights reserved.

Summary for Policy Makers 4

Net zero by 2050 requires huge leaps
in clean energy innovation
Reaching net zero by 2050 requires further rapid deployment of available technologies
as well as widespread use of technologies that are not on the market yet. Major
innovation efforts must occur over this decade in order to bring these new technologies
to market in time. Most of the global reductions in CO2 emissions through 2030 in our
pathway come from technologies readily available today. But in 2050, almost half the
reductions come from technologies that are currently at the demonstration or prototype
phase. In heavy industry and long-distance transport, the share of emissions reductions
from technologies that are still under development today is even higher.

The biggest innovation opportunities concern advanced batteries, hydrogen

electrolysers, and direct air capture and storage. Together, these three technology
areas make vital contributions the reductions in CO2 emissions between 2030 and
2050 in our pathway. Innovation over the next ten years – not only through research
and development (R&D) and demonstration but also through deployment – needs to be
accompanied by the large-scale construction of the infrastructure the technologies will
need. This includes new pipelines to transport captured CO2 emissions and systems to
move hydrogen around and between ports and industrial zones.

5 International Energy Agency | Special Report

 Summary for Policy Makers

Priority action: Prepare for the next phase of the

transition by boosting innovation

Clean energy innovation must accelerate rapidly, with governments

putting R&D, demonstration and deployment at the core of energy and
climate policy.

Government R&D spending needs to be increased and reprioritised. Critical

areas such as electrification, hydrogen, bioenergy and carbon capture,
utilisation and storage (CCUS) today receive only around one-third of the
level of public R&D funding of the more established low-carbon electricity
generation and energy efficiency technologies. Support is also needed
to accelerate the roll-out of demonstration projects, to leverage private
investment in R&D, and to boost overall deployment levels to help reduce
costs. Around USD 90 billion of public money needs to be mobilised globally
as soon as possible to complete a portfolio of demonstration projects before
2030. Currently, only roughly USD 25 billion is budgeted for that period.
Developing and deploying these technologies would create major new
industries, as well as commercial and employment opportunities.

Annual CO2 emissions savings in the net zero pathway, relative to 2020

IEA. All rights reserved.

Summary for Policy Makers 6

The transition to net zero is for and
about people
A transition of the scale and speed described by the net zero pathway cannot be
achieved without sustained support and participation from citizens. The changes will
affect multiple aspects of people’s lives – from transport, heating and cooking to urban
planning and jobs. We estimate that around 55% of the cumulative emissions reductions
in the pathway are linked to consumer choices such as purchasing an EV, retrofitting
a house with energy-efficient technologies or installing a heat pump. Behavioural
changes, particularly in advanced economies – such as replacing car trips with walking,
cycling or public transport, or foregoing a long-haul flight – also provide around 4% of
the cumulative emissions reductions.

Providing electricity to around 785 million people that have no access and clean cooking
solutions to 2.6 billion people that lack those options is an integral part of our pathway.
Emissions reductions have to go hand-in-hand with efforts to ensure energy access for all
by 2030. This costs around USD 40 billion a year, equal to around 1% of average annual
energy sector investment, while also bringing major co-benefits from reduced indoor air
pollution.

Some of the changes brought by the clean energy transformation may be challenging
to implement, so decisions must be transparent, just and cost-effective. Governments
need to ensure that clean energy transitions are people-centred and inclusive. Household
energy expenditure as a share of disposable income – including purchases of efficient
appliances and fuel bills – rises modestly in emerging market and developing economies
in our net zero pathway as more people gain access to energy and demand for modern
energy services increases rapidly. Ensuring the affordability of energy for households
demands close attention: policy tools that can direct support to the poorest include tax
credits, loans and targeted subsidies.

7 International Energy Agency | Special Report

 Summary for Policy Makers

Priority action: Clean energy jobs will grow

strongly but must be spread widely

Energy transitions have to take account of the social and economic

impacts on individuals and communities, and treat people as active
participants.

The transition to net zero brings substantial new opportunities for

employment, with 14 million jobs created by 2030 in our pathway thanks to
new activities and investment in clean energy. Spending on more efficient
appliances, electric and fuel cell vehicles, and building retrofits and energy-
efficient construction would require a further 16 million workers. But these
opportunities are often in different locations, skill sets and sectors than the
jobs that will be lost as fossil fuels decline. In our pathway, around 5 million
jobs are lost. Most of those jobs are located close to fossil fuel resources,
and many are well paid, meaning structural changes can cause shocks for
communities with impacts that persist over time. This requires careful policy
attention to address the employment losses. It will be vital to minimise
hardships associated with these disruptions, such as by retraining workers,
locating new clean energy facilities in heavily affected areas wherever
possible, and providing regional aid.

Global employment in energy supply in the net zero pathway, 2019-2030

IEA. All rights reserved.

Summary for Policy Makers 8

An energy sector dominated by
renewables
In the net zero pathway, global energy demand in 2050 is around 8% smaller than today,
but it serves an economy more than twice as big and a population with 2 billion more
people. More efficient use of energy, resource efficiency and behavioural changes combine
to offset increases in demand for energy services as the world economy grows and access
to energy is extended to all.

Instead of fossil fuels, the energy sector is based largely on renewable energy. Two-thirds
of total energy supply in 2050 is from wind, solar, bioenergy, geothermal and hydro energy.
Solar becomes the largest source, accounting for one-fifth of energy supplies. Solar PV
capacity increases 20-fold between now and 2050, and wind power 11-fold.

Net zero means a huge decline in the use of fossil fuels. They fall from almost four-fifths of
total energy supply today to slightly over one-fifth by 2050. Fossil fuels that remain in 2050
are used in goods where the carbon is embodied in the product such as plastics, in facilities
fitted with CCUS, and in sectors where low-emissions technology options are scarce.

Electricity accounts for almost 50% of total energy consumption in 2050. It plays a key
role across all sectors – from transport and buildings to industry – and is essential to produce
low-emissions fuels such as hydrogen. To achieve this, total electricity generation increases
over two-and-a-half-times between today and 2050. At the same time, no additional new final
investment decisions should be taken for new unabated coal plants, the least efficient coal
plants are phased out by 2030, and the remaining coal plants still in use by 2040 are retrofitted.
By 2050, almost 90% of electricity generation comes from renewable sources, with wind and
solar PV together accounting for nearly 70%. Most of the remainder comes from nuclear.

Emissions from industry, transport and buildings take longer to reduce. Cutting industry
emissions by 95% by 2050 involves major efforts to build new infrastructure. After rapid
innovation progress through R&D, demonstration and initial deployment between now and
2030 to bring new clean technologies to market, the world then has to put them into action.
Every month from 2030 onwards, ten heavy industrial plants are equipped with CCUS, three
new hydrogen-based industrial plants are built, and 2 GW of electrolyser capacity are added at
industrial sites. Policies that end sales of new internal combustion engine cars by 2035 and boost
electrification underpin the massive reduction in transport emissions. In 2050, cars on the road
worldwide run on electricity or fuel cells. Low-emissions fuels are essential where energy needs
cannot easily or economically be met by electricity. For example, aviation relies largely on biofuels
and synthetic fuels, and ammonia is vital for shipping. In buildings, bans on new fossil fuel boilers
need to start being introduced globally in 2025, driving up sales of electric heat pumps. Most old
buildings and all new ones comply with zero-carbon-ready building energy codes.1

1
A zero-carbon-ready building is highly energy efficient and either uses renewable energy directly or uses an
energy supply that will be fully decarbonised by 2050, such as electricity or district heat.

9 International Energy Agency | Special Report

 Summary for Policy Makers

Priority action: Set near-term milestones to get on

track for long-term targets
Governments need to provide credible step-by-step plans to reach
their net zero goals, building confidence among investors, industry,
citizens and other countries.

Governments must put in place long-term policy frameworks to allow all branches
of government and stakeholders to plan for change and facilitate an orderly
transition. Long-term national low-emissions strategies, called for by the Paris
Agreement, can set out a vision for national transitions, as this report has done
on a global level. These long-term objectives need to be linked to measurable
short-term targets and policies. Our pathway details more than 400 sectoral and
technology milestones to guide the global journey to net zero by 2050.

Key milestones in the pathway to net zero

IEA. All rights reserved.

Summary for Policy Makers 10

There is no need for investment in
new fossil fuel supply in our net zero
pathway
Beyond projects already committed as of 2021, there are no new oil and gas fields
approved for development in our pathway, and no new coal mines or mine extensions
are required. The unwavering policy focus on climate change in the net zero pathway
results in a sharp decline in fossil fuel demand, meaning that the focus for oil and gas
producers switches entirely to output – and emissions reductions – from the operation
of existing assets. Unabated coal demand declines by 98% to just less than 1% of total
energy use in 2050. Gas demand declines by 55% to 1 750 billion cubic metres and oil
declines by 75% to 24 million barrels per day (mb/d), from around 90 mb/d in 2020.

Clean electricity generation, network infrastructure and end-use sectors are key
areas for increased investment. Enabling infrastructure and technologies are vital for
transforming the energy system. Annual investment in transmission and distribution grids
expands from USD 260 billion today to USD 820 billion in 2030. The number of public
charging points for EVs rises from around 1 million today to 40 million in 2030, requiring
annual investment of almost USD 90 billion in 2030. Annual battery production for EVs
leaps from 160 gigawatt-hours (GWh) today to 6 600 GWh in 2030 – the equivalent
of adding almost 20 gigafactories2 each year for the next ten years. And the required
roll-out of hydrogen and CCUS after 2030 means laying the groundwork now: annual
investment in CO2 pipelines and hydrogen-enabling infrastructure increases from
USD 1 billion today to around USD 40 billion in 2030.

2
Battery gigafactory capacity assumption = 35 gigawatt-hours per year.

11 International Energy Agency | Special Report

 Summary for Policy Makers

Priority action: Drive a historic surge in clean

energy investment

Policies need to be designed to send market signals that unlock new

business models and mobilise private spending, especially in emerging
economies.

Accelerated delivery of international public finance will be critical to energy

transitions, especially in developing economies, but ultimately the private
sector will need to finance most of the extra investment required. Mobilising
the capital for large-scale infrastructure calls for closer co operation between
developers, investors, public financial institutions and governments.
Reducing risks for investors will be essential to ensure successful and
affordable clean energy transitions. Many emerging market and developing
economies, which rely mainly on public funding for new energy projects
and industrial facilities, will need to reform their policy and regulatory
frameworks to attract more private finance. International flows of long-term
capital to these economies will be needed to support the development of
both existing and emerging clean energy technologies.

Clean energy investment in the net zero pathway

IEA. All rights reserved.

Summary for Policy Makers 12

An unparalleled clean energy
investment boom lifts global
economic growth
Total annual energy investment surges to USD 5 trillion by 2030, adding an extra 0.4
percentage point a year to annual global GDP growth, based on our joint analysis with
the International Monetary Fund. This unparalleled increase – with investment in clean
energy and energy infrastructure more than tripling already by 2030 – brings significant
economic benefits as the world emerges from the Covid-19 crisis. The jump in private
and government spending creates millions of jobs in clean energy, including energy
efficiency, as well as in the engineering, manufacturing and construction industries. All
of this puts global GDP 4% higher in 2030 than it would be based on current trends.

Governments have a key role in enabling investment-led growth and ensuring that
the benefits are shared by all. There are large differences in macroeconomic impacts
between regions. But government investment and public policies are essential to attract
large amounts of private capital and to help offset the declines in fossil fuel income
that many countries will experience. The major innovation efforts needed to bring
new clean energy technologies to market could boost productivity and create entirely
new industries, providing opportunities to locate them in areas that see job losses in
incumbent industries. Improvements in air quality provide major health benefits, with 2
million fewer premature deaths globally from air pollution in 2030 than today in our net
zero pathway. Achieving universal energy access by 2030 would provide a major boost
to well-being and productivity in developing economies.

New energy security concerns

emerge, and old ones remain
The contraction of oil and natural gas production will have far-reaching implications for
all the countries and companies that produce these fuels. No new oil and natural gas
fields are needed in our pathway, and oil and natural gas supplies become increasingly
concentrated in a small number of low-cost producers. For oil, the OPEC share of a
much-reduced global oil supply increases from around 37% in recent years to 52% in
2050, a level higher than at any point in the history of oil markets. Yet annual per capita
income from oil and natural gas in producer economies falls by about 75%, from USD
1 800 in recent years to USD 450 by the 2030s, which could have knock-on societal
effects. Structural reforms and new sources of revenue are needed, even though these
are unlikely to compensate fully for the drop in oil and gas income. While traditional
supply activities decline, the expertise of the oil and natural gas industry fits well with

13 International Energy Agency | Special Report

 Summary for Policy Makers

technologies such as hydrogen, CCUS and offshore wind that are needed to tackle
emissions in sectors where reductions are likely to be most challenging.

The energy transition requires substantial quantities of critical minerals, and their
supply emerges as a significant growth area. The total market size of critical minerals
like copper, cobalt, manganese and various rare earth metals grows almost sevenfold
between 2020 and 2030 in the net zero pathway. Revenues from those minerals are larger
than revenues from coal well before 2030. This creates substantial new opportunities
for mining companies. It also creates new energy security concerns, including price
volatility and additional costs for transitions, if supply cannot keep up with burgeoning
demand.

The rapid electrification of all sectors makes electricity even more central to energy
security around the world than it is today. Electricity system flexibility – needed to balance
wind and solar with evolving demand patterns – quadruples by 2050 even as retirements
of fossil fuel capacity reduce conventional sources of flexibility. The transition calls for
major increases in all sources of flexibility: batteries, demand response and low-carbon
flexible power plants, supported by smarter and more digital electricity networks. The
resilience of electricity systems to cyberattacks and other emerging threats needs to be
enhanced.

IEA. All rights reserved.

Summary for Policy Makers 14

 Priority action: Address emerging energy security
risks now

Ensuring uninterrupted and reliable supplies of energy and critical

energy-related commodities at affordable prices will only rise in
importance on the way to net zero.

The focus of energy security will evolve as reliance on renewable electricity

grows and the role of oil and gas diminishes. Potential vulnerabilities from
the increasing importance of electricity include the variability of supply and
cybersecurity risks. Governments need to create markets for investment in
batteries, digital solutions and electricity grids that reward flexibility and
enable adequate and reliable supplies of electricity. The growing dependence
on critical minerals required for key clean energy technologies calls for new
international mechanisms to ensure both the timely availability of supplies
and sustainable production. At the same time, traditional energy security
concerns will not disappear, as oil production will become more concentrated.

Global energy security indicators in the net zero pathway

Note: mb/d = million barrels per day; Mt = million tonnes.

15 International Energy Agency | Special Report

 Summary for Policy Makers

International co-operation is pivotal

for achieving net-zero emissions by
2050
Making net-zero emissions a reality hinges on a singular, unwavering focus from all
governments – working together with one another, and with businesses, investors and
citizens. All stakeholders need to play their part. The wide-ranging measures adopted by
governments at all levels in the net zero pathway help to frame, influence and incentivise
the purchase by consumers and investment by businesses. This includes how energy
companies invest in new ways of producing and supplying energy services, how
businesses invest in equipment, and how consumers cool and heat their homes, power
their devices and travel.

Underpinning all these changes are policy decisions made by governments. Devising
cost-effective national and regional net zero roadmaps demands co-operation among all
parts of government that breaks down silos and integrates energy into every country’s
policy making on finance, labour, taxation, transport and industry. Energy or environment
ministries alone cannot carry out the policy actions needed to reach net zero by 2050.

Changes in energy consumption result in a significant decline in fossil fuel tax revenues.
In many countries today, taxes on diesel, gasoline and other fossil fuel consumption are
an important source of public revenues, providing as much as 10% in some cases. In the
net zero pathway, tax revenue from oil and gas retail sales falls by about 40% between
2020 and 2030. Managing this decline will require long-term fiscal planning and budget
reforms.

The net zero pathway relies on unprecedented international co-operation among

governments, especially on innovation and investment. The IEA stands ready to support
governments in preparing national and regional net zero roadmaps, to provide guidance
and assistance in implementing them, and to promote international co-operation to
accelerate the energy transition worldwide.
IEA. All rights reserved.

Summary for Policy Makers 16

 Priority action: Take international co-operation to
new heights

This is not simply a matter of all governments seeking to bring their

national emissions to net zero – it means tackling global challenges
through co-ordinated actions.

Governments must work together in an effective and mutually beneficial

manner to implement coherent measures that cross borders. This includes
carefully managing domestic job creation and local commercial advantages
with the collective global need for clean energy technology deployment.
Accelerating innovation, developing international standards and co-ordinating
to scale up clean technologies needs to be done in a way that links national
markets. Co-operation must recognise differences in the stages of development
of different countries and the varying situations of different parts of society.
For many rich countries, achieving net-zero emissions will be more difficult
and costly without international co-operation. For many developing countries,
the pathway to net zero without international assistance is not clear. Technical
and financial support is needed to ensure deployment of key technologies
and infrastructure. Without greater international co-operation, global CO2
emissions will not fall to net zero by 2050.

Global energy-related CO2 emissions in the net zero pathway and Low International
Co-operation Case

Note: Gt = billion tonnes.

17 International Energy Agency | Special Report

 Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Interactive iea.li/nzeroadmap
40 Mt CO2
captured Fossil fuels account for

2020
From 2021: almost 80% of TES
No new unabated
coal plants approved 33.9
Total CO2 emissions (Gt)
for development From 2021:
No new oil and gas
Industry fields approved for
8.5Gt
development;
Solar PV and wind Buildings
2.9Gt
no new coal mines
accounts for almost or mine extensions
10% of total electricity Other
1.9Gt
generation
Power Transport
13.5Gt 7.2Gt

Retrofit rates below

1% globally
Unabated coal, natural gas
and oil account for over 60%
of total electricity generation
5% of global car
sales are electric

Universal
energy access
All new buildings are

2030
Most new clean zero-carbon-ready
technologies in heavy 21.1
industry demonstrated Total CO2 emissions (Gt)

at scale

Industry
6.9Gt

Buildings
1.8Gt

Other
0.9Gt 60% of global car
sales are electric
Power Transport
5.8Gt
1 020 GW annual 5.7Gt

solar and wind

additions
150 Mt low-carbon
hydrogen; 850 GW
electrolysers
Phase-out of unabated coal
in advanced economies

Virtually all heavy industry

capacity additions are
innovative low-emissions
All industrial electric routes

2035
motor sales are
best in class Most appliances and
12.8 cooling systems sold
Total CO2 emissions (Gt)
are best in class
Capacity fitted with
CCUS or co-firing
hydrogen-based
fuels reaches 6% of Industry
No new internal
total generation 5.2Gt
Buildings combustion
1.2Gt
engine car sales
Other
0.1Gt
Transport
4.1Gt
Power
Overall net-zero emissions 2.1Gt

electricity in advanced
economies

50% of heavy truck

4 Gt CO2 captured sales are electric
Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Interactive iea.li/nzeroadmap

Around 90% of
existing capacity in
heavy industries reaches
end of investment cycle
50% of existing
6.3 buildings retrofitted to

2040
Total CO2 emissions (Gt) zero-carbon-ready levels

Net-zero emissions
electricity globally
Industry
3.5Gt
Buildings 50% of fuels used
0.7Gt
in aviation are
Power
Phase-out of all -0.1Gt
Transport
low-emissions
unabated coal and Other 2.7Gt
-0.5Gt
oil power plants

Electrolyser capacity
reaches 2 400 GW
Oil demand is 50%
of 2020 level

More than 90% of heavy

industrial production
is low-emissions

2050
0
33.9
Total CO2 emissions (Gt)
Renewables reach Total CO2 emissions (Gt)
almost 90% of total More than 85%
electricity generation of buildings are
zero-carbon-ready

Industry
0.5Gt
Buildings
Power 0.1Gt
-0.4Gt
Transport
0.7Gt

Other
-1Gt

Almost 70% of
electricity generation
globally from solar PV
and wind
520 Mt
low-carbon
hydrogen

7.6 Gt CO2 captured

This publication reflects the views of the IEA Secretariat but does not necessarily reflect
those of individual IEA member countries. The IEA makes no representation or warranty,
express or implied, in respect of the publication’s contents (including its completeness or
accuracy) and shall not be responsible for any use of, or reliance on, the publication. Unless
otherwise indicated, all material presented in figures and tables is derived from IEA data
and analysis.

This publication and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of
or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and
boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

Revised version, May 2021.

Information notice found at: www.iea.org/corrections

IEA. All rights reserved.

IEA Publications
International Energy Agency
Website: www.iea.org
Contact information: www.iea.org/about/contact

Typeset in France by IEA - May 2021

Cover design: IEA
Photo credits: © ShutterStock