Interactive
Scroll within the chart to interact
test
Historical emissions/baseline projection

U.S. greenhouse gas emissions dropped 13 percent from 2005 to 2017, even as the economy grew 21 percent. This was progress.

But the Trump administration’s policies will halt this progress and may actually increase emissions by midcentury.

IPCC emissions range

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, global carbon dioxide emissions must fall 40 percent to 60 percent below 2010 levels by 2030, reach net-zero by 2050, and thereafter be net-negative.

Translated to a 2005 baseline for the United States, this requires a reduction of at least 43 percent by 2030.

Clean electricity

Electricity needs to come from clean sources—at least 65 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050.

CAP recommends a clean electricity standard, a price on carbon, emissions controls for power plants, and directed federal spending.

Electric vehicles and smart growth

Car and SUV sales need to reach 100 percent zero emission by 2035, and people in urban areas deserve transportation options that go beyond driving.

CAP recommends a clean car sales standard, a cash-in for clean cars program, and major investments in charging stations, transit, and smart growth.

Electric appliances and buildings

All new buildings and appliances must be electric and highly efficient by 2035.

CAP recommends a block grant for electrification and efficiency, incentives for better building codes, a national energy-efficiency resource standard, and mandates on federal buildings to lead the way.

Clean manufacturing

The United States can cut manufacturing emissions 15 percent by 2030 and must set in motion a technology agenda for deep decarbonization.

CAP recommends an all-of-government clean industry initiative, federal “buy clean” requirements, phasing out hydrofluorocarbons, deep factory retrofits, clean export promotion, and border adjustments.

Agriculture and waste

The United States has to invest $120 billion in agriculture by 2030, more than doubling conservation, research, and renewable energy.

CAP recommends precision agriculture, anaerobic digesters, rural renewables, capturing landfill emissions, and cutting food waste.

Lands and negative-emission technologies

The United States must protect 30 percent of its lands by 2030 and deploy climate-smart agricultural practices on 100 million acres. More than 1 gigaton of carbon sequestration is possible by 2050.

CAP recommends research and development, reviving the Civilian Conservation Corps, and paying for conservation and climate-smart land use.

Further improvements

Those six benchmarks get us 90 percent of the way there, but much more is needed.

CAP recommends an innovation agenda, the formation of a National Climate Council in the White House, an economywide price on carbon, new modeling of distributional impacts of policy on all forms of pollution, and more.

Historical emissions
Baseline projection
IPCC emissions range
Clean electricity
Electric vehicles and smart growth
Electric appliances and buildings
Clean manufacturing
Agriculture and waste
Lands and negative-emission technologies
Further improvements