You’ve probably seen many articles about reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

To do so will require a number of things to be accomplished quickly.

Adele Peters recently wrote in Fast Company magazine outlining 8 things that need to happen this decade to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Wind and solar capacity will have to grow 3.5 times by the end of the decade, while most electricity generation from coal is eliminated. This is expected to reduce emissions in the electric sector by 2/3rds.

A STUDY from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of San Francisco found that we will need:

• A network of new electricity transmission lines, along with new pipelines for hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide.

• Zero-emissions vehicles such as electric cars must reach 50% by 2030.

• Heat pumps, a renewable source of heat that can replace gas and other fossil fuels, will also have to reach 50%.

• New buildings and appliances will have to meet strict energy standards.

•We will have to work on developing new carbon capture and sequestration technology and carbon-neutral fuels.

• Even though natural gas will decline, we will have to maintain natural gas capacity as a low-cost source of power when renewables cannot meet demand.

JIM WILLIAMS, associate professor of Energy Systems Management at the University of San Francisco, is quoted in the article as saying, “It’s critical to make the transition carefully. If we don’t do this transition in a way that captures new technology jobs for American workers, if we don’t do it in a way that helps there be a decent and equitable transition for those who are in fossil fuel industries, this is not going to work.”

Ryan Jones, cofounder of Evolved Energy Research, said, “It’s fully feasible to meet the goal of net zero. But we’ll also have to move much faster than we have in the past. We have been slow to muster the collective will to make this transformation happen.”

Rod Funderburk is an energy expert who works with Resource Supply Management clients to control their costs.