Scientists’ Perspectives towards Achieving Net Zero

Achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions is core to mitigating climate change, the most important and urgent issue of our time. Despite many countries’ international commitments to reach net zero by 2050, these targets face major challenges. Brendan Kelly—SEARCH’s Principal Investigator & Science Director—and colleagues from NASA, Scripps, and Binghamton University co-convened a panel of experts to explore pathways to reducing emissions to zero. Panelists discussed several strategies and technologies. Shifting carbon sequestration efforts from tree planting to more permanent techniques like Direct Air Capture (DAC) was one avenue, while focusing on curbing emissions through a Wind, Water, and Solar (WSS) solution was another. Still others stressed the need to promote both as complementary. Further emphasis was placed on roadmapping our net zero pathways no matter the strategies and technologies they may employ. While the panelists each focused on their respective areas of net zero interest, all unequivocally agreed on the immediate need to eliminate emissions as quickly as possible.