The US may not reach half-way towards net zero emissions by 2050, if it continues to develop and deliver projects at the rate it does currently, according to a new report.
The report ‘From ambition to reality: weaving the threads of net-zero delivery’ has been produced by engineering company Worley in collaboration with Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.
It said that a “profound rethink” of the US energy system is needed, as well as the infrastructure approach to achieve net-zero by 2050.
The US will have to drastically exceed its current low-emissions project build rate, the report said.
It added that infrastructure project build timelines need to be realistically planned.
The report explores five key shifts in the approach to energy infrastructure that can deliver a transition to net zero.
These include the redefinition of project value that shifts emphasis from financial to social and environmental value, developing all possible low carbon technologies for a diverse tapestry of future solutions, and standardisation of designs to replicate and accelerate project builds.
It also calls for unprecedented collaboration and knowledge sharing between governments, industry, and communities, and to embrace data and digitisation to optimise project build and performance.
Worley group sustainability lead Clare Anderson said: “The challenge to reach net-zero by 2050 is significant.
“The reality is, if we develop energy infrastructure the way we always have, we won’t get to net-zero by 2050 – not even close.
“We need imaginative solutions that are aggressively adaptive – and we need them now.
“It is an urgent priority for governments and industry to shift focus to the practical challenge of delivering energy infrastructure at an unprecedented level.”