How to fight climate change? We list 90 practical steps

How to fight climate change?

Some of the most authoritative climate analysts consider energy-efficiency measures, among the most cost-effective tools available.

Some — such as including solar self-supply and home back-up batteries — are easy, widely available solutions individuals, corporates and organisations.

There are more funding-intensive, but doable state-level responses, including Urban cooling projects, pumped-storage hydro electric power and nuclear power plants.

Key target: Energy efficiency

Why energy efficiency? Because they simultaneously reduce emissions, lower energy bills, and improve energy security..

According to the International Energy Agency, the IPCC and the UN climate body, the world's most important climate-mitigation technologies include:

• Renewable energy

• Energy efficiency measures

• Electrification

• Energy storage, hydrogen

• Carbon capture

• Sustainable transport,

• Nature-based carbon-removal solutions.

Here is a broad list of technologies and strategies used to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, and help societies adapt to climate change.

These are based on the most authoritative references, including International Energy Agency (IEA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

Clean Energy Generation

• Solar Power

• Wind Energy

• Hydroelectric Power

• Geothermal Energy

• Tidal Power

• Wave Energy

• Green Hydrogen

• Advanced Nuclear Power

• Small Modular Reactors

Energy Storage

• Battery energy storage systems (lithium-ion, sodium-ion, solid-state)

• Pumped-storage hydropower

• Thermal energy storage

• Compressed-air energy storage

• Hydrogen storage

• Gravity-based energy storage

Energy Efficiency

• Heat exchangers

• Heat pumps

• High-efficiency motors

• LED lighting

• Smart thermostats

• Building insulation

• Energy-efficient windows

• Passive house design

• District heating and cooling systems

• Waste heat recovery

Transportation

• Electric vehicles (EVs)

• Electric buses

• Electric rail systems

• High-speed rail

• Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles

• Sustainable aviation fuel

• Electric aircraft

• Electrified ports and shipping

• Bicycle infrastructure

• Public transit expansion

Industrial Decarbonization

• Green steel production

• Low-carbon cement

• Electrified industrial heating

• Carbon-neutral chemicals

• Industrial carbon capture

• Circular manufacturing

• Materials recycling

Carbon Removal and Emissions Reduction

• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

• Direct Air Capture (DAC)

• Bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS)

• Enhanced rock weathering

• Biochar

• Soil carbon sequestration

• Blue carbon projects (mangroves, seagrass)

• Methane capture from landfills

Agriculture and Food

• Precision agriculture

• Regenerative farming

• Drought-resistant crops

• Drip irrigation

• Agroforestry

• Vertical farming

• Alternative proteins

• Reduced food waste

• Methane-reducing livestock feed additives

Nature-Based Solutions

• Reforestation

• Afforestation

• Mangrove restoration

• Wetland restoration

• Peatland protection

• Urban tree planting

• Watershed restoration

• Coral reef restoration

Climate Adaptation

• Flood barriers and seawalls

• Stormwater management systems

• Urban cooling projects

• Climate-resilient infrastructure

• Early-warning systems

• Drought management technologies

• Desalination powered by renewables

• Water recycling and reuse

Digital and Smart Systems

• Smart electrical grids

• AI-based energy management

• Smart meters

• Demand-response systems

• Building automation systems

• Precision weather forecasting

• Digital twins for infrastructure

Emerging Technologies

• Perovskite solar cells

• Fusion energy

• Space-based solar power

• Long-duration battery storage

• Synthetic carbon-neutral fuels

• Ocean carbon removal technologies

• Advanced geothermal systems

• Transparent solar windows

Sources: International Energy Agency (IEA). Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector (2021); International Energy Agency (IEA). Energy Technology Perspectives 2020 (2020); Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Working Group III; UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Policies and Technologies for Mitigation.