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According to a recent analysis, humanity has made some uneven strides in decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels. However, there are still three aspects of our lives where we are not making sufficient progress to break the habit in the next three decades.

According to an analysis by Rhodium, there has been a significant increase in investments in clean energy and a decrease in coal-generated electricity. This trend suggests that by 2050, the world’s reliance on fossil fuels for power will continue to decrease, as solar energy has been dubbed the most cost-effective source of electricity in history by the International Energy Agency.

The growing popularity of electric vehicles will also lead to a decrease in emissions from cars and trucks. It is predicted that global oil usage for on-road vehicles will decrease by 50% in the next 30 years.

However, despite significant transformations occurring in two of the world’s biggest users of fossil fuels, emissions are still far from reaching net zero by 2050. Scientists warn that this is necessary in order to prevent dangerous global warming, which can lead to more severe heatwaves, floods, droughts, and other catastrophic events.

One of the main causes of this issue is the persistent carbon emissions from three sectors: aviation, shipping, and industry.

Currently, there are no widely available substitutes for jet fuel or ship diesel. This means that as developing countries’ economies continue to grow, the use of fossil fuels will likely remain steady or even increase. Additionally, various industrial processes, such as cement production and plastic manufacturing, will not significantly reduce their carbon footprint by 2050.

According to Hannah Pitt, who serves as the associate director at Rhodium, significant advancements have been made in recent years. Wind and solar energy have emerged as shining examples of success, and the electric vehicle industry is currently undergoing a pivotal moment. These projections are based on expected policies through 2050.

This accounts for a significant portion of emissions, however, there has been less advancement in other industries. In the aviation and shipping fields, there is limited innovation and no evident, economical substitutes for fossil fuels.

Furthermore, there are industrial processes that contribute significantly to emissions and each of these processes requires its own unique methods and advancements in order to reduce the amount of emissions. Despite efforts, emissions remain at a consistently high level.

According to the report’s projections, the use of fossil fuels worldwide is expected to level off or decrease by the middle of the century, before resuming growth as energy demand increases in different regions. Gas is predicted to be the primary source of growth, while the use of oil and coal is expected to decline.

According to Pitt, we have not yet reached the point where we can eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels in various aspects of daily life, such as using electricity, transportation, package delivery, and travel.

According to Pitt, the achievements in implementing renewable energy and electric vehicles demonstrate that it is feasible, but it will require a variety of policies and advancements. There is not a single solution.

“It is important to remember that climate change affects all aspects of our economies, and requires solutions for each of these areas. There is a significant amount of work that needs to be done.”

Source: theguardian.com