Low-carbon economy

A low-carbon economy (LCE) or decarbonised economy is a concept for a desirable economy which has relatively low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per person. GHG emissions due to human activity are the dominant cause of observed climate change since the mid-20th century. There are many strategies and approaches for moving to a low-carbon economy, such as encouraging renewable energy transition, efficient energy use, energy conservation, electrification of transportation (e.g. electric vehicles), carbon capture and storage, climate-smart agriculture. An even more ambitious target than low-carbon economies are zero-carbon economies with net zero emissions. An example are zero-carbon cities.

Examples for methods to transition towards a low-carbon economy: Concentrated solar power with molten salt heat storage in Spain; wind energy in South Africa; electrified public transport in Singapore; and renewable energy sources, especially solar photovoltaic and wind, are providing an increasing share of electricity production.

Shifting from high-carbon economies to low-carbon economies on a global scale could bring substantial benefits for all countries. It would also contribute to climate change mitigation.

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