Reaching zero emissions

The Paris Agreement commitments, without overshoot, require a rapid and deep reduction in global emissions by 2030. This presents an unprecedented challenge across all sectors and their supply chains, including but not limited to electricity, heating and cooling, fossil fuel production, transport, construction, manufacturing, agriculture and food systems. While much of the world’s focus is on emissions reduction, achieving net zero emissions will also require the active removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere through a wide range of approaches.

We will assess and quantify mitigation actions to halve emissions by the end of the decade. Our work evaluates the roles of policies, methodologies, technologies, incentives, behaviours, and wider societal shifts in transitioning towards a cost-effective and low-emissions economy. Our key areas of focus include zero-emission strategies, circular economy models, natural resources, and greenhouse gas reductions across different sectors, such as aviation, shipping, heavy goods vehicles, industry, manufacturing, agriculture, and food systems. Throughout, we will continue to inform and learn from our policy makers, the private sector, academia, publics and civil society, ensuring our insights remain impactful and relevant.

Our work to date has pioneered practical decarbonisation frameworks for cities, supporting local authorities to prioritise and replicate high-impact climate interventions. We have undertaken sectoral and national pathway analyses, including carbon budget assessments for aviation and shipping, demonstrating how operational change, demand management and emerging technologies can align difficult sectors with climate targets. We offer holistic mitigation strategies that integrate engineering, finance and social science, shaping policy debates on low-carbon transport, bioenergy and community energy finance.

Circular economy approaches will underpin much of our mitigation work, using life-cycle assessment and systems thinking to drive resource efficiency and decouple economic growth from emissions. We will also lead in novel areas such as decarbonising live music events, highlighting how cultural sectors can innovate towards net zero. Additionally, our reservoir emissions modelling tools will support policy makers and engineers in designing water infrastructure aligned with low-carbon objectives.