Major U.S. science group lays out a path to smooth the energy transition
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine says putting equity at the center of climate and energy policy will help speed along necessary fossil fuel emission cuts
It's no big mystery: to slow down human-driven climate change, the U.S. and other countries need to cut carbon emissions fast and thoroughly. The Biden administration has set the goal of hitting 'net zero' carbon emissions by 2050. That means bringing most fossil fuel burning to a near halt by then.
Major climate-focused laws passed in 2021 and 2022, like the Inflation Reduction Act, have put the country on a solid theoretical pathway toward hitting that goal, says a new report from the National Academies of Science, (NASEM)–but, it warns, the efforts are still nascent and fragile.
