Steps to a zero-carbon future - advice from the World Bank 

“Choices made today can lock in emissions trajectories for years to come and leave communities vulnerable to climate impacts,” says World Bank Group Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change Rachel Kyte. “To reach zero net emissions before the end of this century, the global economy needs to be overhauled.” 


The longer action is delayed, the greater the costs for futurer generations, warns the World Bank report (photo: Dmitry Pichugin / 123RF)

A new World Bank report lays out three steps for a smooth transition to a zero-carbon future, providing data, examples and policy advice to help countries make the shift.

Keeping temperatures from rising more than two degrees Celsius, as governments have agreed, will require transforming how the world uses energy. Electricity from clean energy sources plays an important role.

Getting to zero net emissions and stabilising climate change starts with planning for the long-term future and not stopping at short-term goals, says the report. It means getting prices right as part of a broad policy package that can trigger changes in both investments and behaviour, and it requires smoothing the transition for those most affected.

The solutions exist, and they are affordable – if governments take action today, the report says. It warns, however, that costs will rise for the next generation the longer action is delayed.

Download the report Decarbonizing Development: Three Steps to a Zero Carbon Future