--- title: Why Net Zero Emissions Are Crucial to Avoid Climate Disaster description: Emissions need to come down to net-zero by 2050. Faith Birol of the International Energy Agency shares a road map for the energy sector. canonical: https://time.com/6102914/net-zero-energy-emissions/ author: Fatih Birol article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2021-10-01T10:30:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-24T10:22:02.623Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Limiting Energy Emissions Is Crucial to Avoid the Worst of Climate Change og:description: 'This is a race, not between countries, but a race against time' og:url: https://time.com/6102914/net-zero-energy-emissions/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta9a9d3748dec4bb2/698a1d66b21a9cc99d50534a/ideas-for-fairer-world-Fatih-Birol.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: ideas-for-fairer-world-Fatih-Birol og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Limiting Energy Emissions Is Crucial to Avoid the Worst of Climate Change twitter:description: 'This is a race, not between countries, but a race against time' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta9a9d3748dec4bb2/698a1d66b21a9cc99d50534a/ideas-for-fairer-world-Fatih-Birol.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Limiting Energy Emissions Is Crucial to Avoid the Worst of Climate Change  by [Fatih Birol](https://time.com/author/fatih-birol/)  ## Fatih Birol Oct 1, 2021 10:30 AM UTC  Fatih Birol, executive director, IEA Fatih Birol, executive director, IEASimon Dawson—Bloomberg/Getty Images  by [Fatih Birol](https://time.com/author/fatih-birol/)  ## Fatih Birol Oct 1, 2021 10:30 AM UTC Scientists tell us that if we want to have a [livable planet](https://time.com/6095472/green-esg-investment-funds-greenwashing/) in coming decades, then emissions need to come down to net zero by 2050\. As around three-quarters of the emissions that cause climate change come from energy, [we at the](https://time.com/collection-post/6095810/fatih-birol/) International Energy Agency have turned this net-zero target into a road map for the energy sector. What needs to happen? We have described more than 400 milestones: for example, in 2030, 60% of cars sold should be [electric vehicles](https://time.com/5955386/electric-vehicles-made-in-the-us-biden/), compared with 5% today. By 2040, half of all flights should be using sustainable fuels and the world needs to have phased out all coal and oil power plants where emissions aren’t captured. **Read More:** [_China Is Planning to Build 43 New Coal-Fired Power Plants. Can It Still Keep Its Promises to Cut Emissions?_](https://time.com/6090732/china-coal-power-plants-emissions/) If we do these things, are we sure we will keep the [global temperature](https://time.com/longform/australia-drought-photos/) rise to 1.5ºC? The answer is, I’m not sure. But, even if we don’t succeed entirely, if we do our best and follow this road map, we will still help avoid the worst of climate change. If we cannot reach 1.5º, then 1.6º or 1.7º is still far better than 3.5º, where the [consequences for our planet](https://time.com/6099958/trees-for-jane-goodall/) will be catastrophic. This is a race, not between countries, but a [race against time](https://time.com/6081919/famine-climate-change-madagascar/). —_As told to Justin Worland_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6102914/net-zero-energy-emissions/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6102914/net-zero-energy-emissions/"},"headline":"Limiting Energy Emissions Is Crucial to Avoid the Worst of Climate Change","datePublished":"2021-10-01T10:30:59.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T10:22:02.623Z","description":"Emissions need to come down to net-zero by 2050. 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