Initial Publication Date: September 24, 2024

Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities to net zero by 2050 can help limit global warming and climate change impacts.

Teaching about reducing emissions is supported by eight fundamental concepts:

A. Rapid, deep, and sustained reductions in global emissions of greenhouse gases can still limit global temperature changes to well below 2°C (3.6°F), consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Learn more about climate mitigation

There are 7 more fundamental concepts. See them all...

B. Limiting global warming requires net-zero carbon dioxide emissions— where emissions fall to zero or remaining emissions are balanced by removal from the atmosphere. To keep warming to well below 2°C (3.6°F), global carbon dioxide emissions would need to reach net zero by 2050, along with substantial reductions in emissions of all greenhouse gases. Rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions are one of the fastest ways to limit near-term warming.

C. Reaching and sustaining global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions will result in a gradual decline in warming. However, some long-term responses to warming that have already occurred will continue due to the long lifespan of some greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (for example, sea level rise, ice sheet losses, and ecosystem disruptions). Learn more about the ways to reach net zero

D. Actively removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and using natural climate solutions to increase ecosystem carbon sinks can help reach net zero even faster. Scientists, entrepreneurs, and communities are working on ways to remove some of these greenhouse gases. Learn more about carbon dioxide removal

E. Many countries, states, cities, and corporations have set climate mitigation goals and targets that are aligned with limiting warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F). However, current efforts to meet these goals and targets need to be scaled up and expanded to limit global warming, and it remains likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C (2.7°F) during the 21st century. Learn more about climate mitigation at many scales

F. Technologies and approaches that are already available can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the highest-emitting sectors. These include improvements in energy efficiency, electricity generation from solar and wind energy, electrification of transportation and heating, less emissions-intensive diets, and protection and restoration of forests and ecosystems. Learn more about options to reduce emissions now

G. Some other greenhouse gas emissions, such as those from jet fuel, cement production, and certain industrial processes, cannot be avoided at a large scale with current technologies. To reach net-zero emissions, additional mitigation options and approaches, such as natural and engineered carbon dioxide removal and low-carbon fuels, may need to be explored.

H. Actions by governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals can support net-zero emissions goals. Lean more about efforts to reduce emissions

Bringing these ideas into your classroom

Mitigation responses to climate change touch on many disciplines: earth science, biology, human health, engineering, technology, economics, and policy. There are many places in the curriculum into which these topics can be woven. Students can engage in projects that focus on their own communities or on international case studies. Topics can involve lifestyle changes, innovative solutions, emerging technology, or policy negotiations. Subject areas can include energy, transportation, food, agriculture, commerce, or land use.

A possible pedagogic technique is to have students take a quantitative approach to investigate the impact of potential solutions. For example, how many light bulbs would need to be changed to offset rising carbon emissions? Is it possible to plant enough trees to soak up excess CO₂? (See activity Atmospheric Carbon: Can We Offset the Increase? ) Often the best way for students to learn about mitigation is to engage them in a problem-solving activity that allows them to investigate and discover answers for themselves.

Teaching materials from the CLEAN collection

Middle school

Plant for the Planet offers an upbeat example of a young student who rallies his community and other children to plant millions of trees to offset emissions.
In the Renewable Energy Living Lab: Energy Priorities, students explore real data about renewable energy potential in their state using a mapping tool developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Wind Energy: Exploring Wind Farms with Google Earth - In this activity, students use Google Earth to investigate ideal features of wind farms.
Four Generations of Green offers a vignette of a family dairy that infuses sustainable practices throughout its operation.

High school

There are several lesson plans that incorporate a renewable energy mapping tool from the National Renewable Energy Labs, called Renewable Energy Living Lab. These lessons evaluate the feasibility, cost, and environmental impacts of installing renewable energy, and they are a way to bring engineering and design into the subject.
Climate Action Simulation - This interactive role-playing simulation is conducted as a simulated emergency climate summit organized by the United Nations that convenes global stakeholders to establish a concrete plan that limits warming to Paris Agreement goals. This game is a fun format for large groups to explore climate change solutions and see what it would really take to address this global challenge.
Solving the Carbon Dioxide Problem - Students use information from Project Drawdown to learn about the sectors where climate solutions are being implemented to help slow down climate warming. Students construct a plan for using specific solutions to reduce and remove the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and make a claim describing how their plan could work to keep global temperature change below 1.5 °C.
The Energy Lab is a simulator that allows students to meet projected energy demand while also minimizing atmospheric CO₂.

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