Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
America’s net-zero shift
Sustainability | Decarbonization | North America
June 3, 2022 – It will not be easy for the United States to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. But, according to our analysis, a pathway exists. Major changes for that pathway would include a zero-emissions power sector by 2035, electric vehicles making up 75 percent of all new-car sales by 2030, and an 80 percent reduction of oil and gas methane by 2030, among other changes. Click through the interactive to see more.
Interactive
To read the article, see “Navigating America’s net-zero frontier: A guide for business leaders,” May 5, 2022.
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Visual form
Stacked sector-emissions pathway chart.
Layout / body structure
The chart is a 2020 to 2050 emissions pathway. Annual stacked bars show sector contributions, a dotted line traces net greenhouse-gas emissions, and large callout brackets mark the 2030 reduction milestone and the 2050 net-negative target.
What is being compared
It compares US greenhouse-gas emissions by sector over time in a 1.5C scenario, including land use, industry, transport, power, agriculture, and buildings.
Measurement system
The vertical scale is metric gigatons of CO2 equivalent per year. The stacked bars show sector emissions, while the dotted line represents net GHG emissions after removals.
Visible structure inside the graphic
The visible slide starts near 8 metric gigatons in 2020, declines through 2030, and approaches net negative by 2050. A dark bottom panel lists major changes such as zero-emissions power by 2035, industrial asset transition, rapid electrification of mobility, and curbing methane.
Main takeaway from the visual
The chart shows that reaching a US 1.5C pathway requires simultaneous reductions across every major sector, with more than half of emissions cut by 2030 and removals scaled by 2050.
Key standout values or extremes
The 2030 callout highlights a greater than 50 percent emissions reduction, while the 2050 callout notes a 95 percent reduction and CO2 removals scaled to 1 metric gigaton per year.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
Prev and Next step through the ten-slide sequence.
Companion media, when applicable
The chart is the full visual on this page. There is no separate companion audio or video outside the visual.