Transport
The movement of people and goods via cars, buses, ships, planes and other forms of transportation accounts for one-seventh of total global CO₂ emissions each year. Within transportation, emissions from road vehicles has been rising sharply, particularly as developing nations put more cars on the roads.
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In transport, the uptake in electric vehicles requires an unprecedented expansion of manufacturing and battery-metal mining capacity. In aviation an immediate scale-up in sustainable aviation fuel production requires a fast solution to overcome feedstock supply bottlenecks. In shipping, the industry structure calls for a single-fuel solution, but coordination and quick decisions are needed to agree on the best hydrogen-derived fuel that can fit the bill.
Direct electrification via batteries is the most efficient, cost-effective and commercially viable route to decarbonize road transport. While electric vehicles are making progress, many decades will be needed to replace internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles that continue to be sold, especially in emerging countries. However, electrification is not the only vector of change in road transport. Shared mobility, vehicle connectivity and, eventually, autonomous vehicles are also set to reshape automotive and freight markets around the world in the decades ahead.
Policymakers should not lose sight of long-term goals. While oil demand from transport is set to peak later this decade, only a couple of Nordic countries, and California, are currently on track for having a completely zero-emission passenger vehicle fleet by 2050. The rest of the globe is still lagging behind. The window for achieving net-zero emissions in road transport is closing quickly and there is no room left for complacency. EVs are still the most cost-effective and commercially viable route to fully decarbonizing transport.
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In the race to reduce carbon emissions, regional, national and international policymakers don’t have time to wait
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explore Delivering Net Zero: A Framework for Policymakers.
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Industry and Materials
Manufacturing, producing basic materials and other industrial activities account for about a quarter of annual global CO₂ emissions. This includes energy-intensive processes such as steelmaking, refining of chemicals and fuels and making consumer and other goods.
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