McKinsey & Company’s report, Pathways to a Low-Carbon Economy, focuses on technical solutions at the commercial and residential scales. McKinsey also assessed potential costs. Their assessment reaches till 2030. The table below lists the McKinsey’s solutions and indicates how many days Earth Overshoot Day would move if they were implemented. The Global Footprint Network research team forecast to 2050, too.
| Solution/ Area | Sector | Potential CO2 abatement in 2030 compared to Business as Usual beginning 2010 (metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) | Solution Moves Earth Overshoot Day This Many Days (2030 Scenario) |
Solution Moves Earth Overshoot Day This Many Days (2050 Scenario) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal carbon capture & storage (new build) | Power | 2107 | 2.2 | 7.5 |
| Reduced deforestation from slash and burn agricultural conversion | Forestry | 1986 | 2.1 | 7.1 |
| Reduced deforestation from pastureland conversion | Forestry | 1620 | 1.7 | 5.8 |
| Degraded forest reforestration | Forestry | 1366 | 1.4 | 4.9 |
| Grassland management | Agriculture | 1354 | 1.4 | 4.8 |
| Wind - low penetration | Power | 1311 | 1.4 | 4.7 |
| Reduced intensive agricultural conversion | Forestry | 1202 | 1.3 | 4.3 |
| Nuclear | Power | 1180 | 1.3 | 4.2 |
| Organic soil restoration | Agriculture | 1140 | 1.2 | 4.1 |
| Light-duty vehicle Internal Combustion Engine improvements(gasoline) | Road Transport | 915 | 1 | 3.3 |
| Pastureland afforestation | Forestry | 934 | 1 | 3.3 |
| Waste recycling | Waste | 877 | 0.9 | 3.1 |
| Solar (photovoltaics) | Power | 779 | 0.8 | 2.8 |
| Increased gas utilization | Power | 721 | 0.8 | 2.6 |
| Wind - high penetration | Power | 713 | 0.8 | 2.5 |
| Aggregated efficiency package, residential (new build) | Building | 656 | 0.7 | 2.3 |
| Solar (concentrated solar power) | Power | 598 | 0.6 | 2.1 |
| Coal carbon capture & storage (retrofit) | Power | 459 | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| Rice management shallow flooding | Agriculture | 452 | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| Degraded land restoration | Agriculture | 424 | 0.4 | 1.5 |
| Small Hydro | Power | 402 | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| Carbon Capture and Storage - downstream | Petroleum & Gas | 385 | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| Livestock - Anti methanogen vaccine | Agriculture | 350 | 0.4 | 1.3 |
| Waste - landfill gas electricity generation | Waste | 328 | 0.3 | 1.2 |
| Forest management | Forestry | 347 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| Geothermal | Power | 295 | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Energy efficiency (step 1) | Iron and Steel | 306 | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Carbon capture & storage (retrofit) | Iron & Steel | 299 | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Biomass co-firing | Power | 279 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Efficient motor systems (new build) | Chemicals | 271 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Light-duty vehicle full hybrid imrpovement & market penetration | Road Transport | 279 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Appliances - residential | Building | 287 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Aggregated efficiency package, commercial (new build) | Building | 268 | 0.3 | 1 |
| Reduced timber harvesting | Forestry | 268 | 0.3 | 1 |
| 2nd gen biofuels | Road Transport | 260 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Lighting - switch incandescent to LED, residential | Building | 251 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Building envelope, residential (retrofit) | Building | 246 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Water heating - replacement of electric, residential | Building | 257 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Agronomy practices | Agriculture | 255 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Biomass carbon capture & storage | Power | 221 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Carbon capture & storage (new build) | Iron and Steel | 221 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Process/Catalyst intensification (step 1) | Chemicals | 218 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| 1st gen biofuels | Road Transport | 217 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Light-duty vehicle Plug-in hybrid electric improvement & market penetration | Road Transport | 238 | 0.3 | 0.8 |
| Heavy-duty vehicle Internal Combustion Engine improvements | Road Transport | 228 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Building envelope, commercial (retrofit) | Building | 230 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Clinker substitution by slag | Cement | 192 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Co-generation (new build) | Iron and Steel | 193 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Waste - landfill gas direct use | Waste | 191 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Clinker substitution by fly ash | Cement | 168 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Alternative fuels - waste | Cement | 182 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Energy Efficiency (step 2) | Iron & Steel | 171 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Decomposition of N2O from adipic and nitric acid production | Chemicals | 155 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Process/Catalyst intensification (step 2) | Chemicals | 172 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Carbon capture & storage Combustion (retrofit) | Chemicals | 177 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Electronics - consumer, residential | Building | 164 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Rice and nutrient management | Agriculture | 166 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Coal carbon capture & storage with enhanced oil recovery (new build) | Power | 131 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Clinker substitution by other MIC | Cement | 129 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Carbon capture & storage (new build) | Cement | 127 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Combined heat and power efficiency improvement (new build) | Chemicals | 139 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Coal shift fuel to biomass (new build) | Chemicals | 153 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Process/Catalyst intensification (step 3) | Chemicals | 152 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Light-duty vehicle Internal Combustion Engine improvements (diesel) | Road Transport | 128 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Cropland nutrient management | Agriculture | 134 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Tillage and residue management | Agriculture | 140 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Livestock feed supplements | Agriculture | 150 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Co-generation | Petroleum and Gas | 112 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Carbon capture & storage Combustion (new build) | Chemicals | 118 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Lighting - controls, commercial (retrofit) | Building | 109 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Composting new waste | Waste | 120 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Energy Efficiency requiring capital expenditure at process unit level | Petroleum & Gas | 96 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| More energy efficient new buildings | Petroleum & Gas | 76 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Alternative fuels - bio | Cement | 83 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Carbon capture & storage (retrofit) | Cement | 80 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Co-generation (retrofit) | Iron & Steel | 86 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Smelt reduction (new build) | Iron & Steel | 97 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Fuel shift oil to gas (new build) | Chemicals | 91 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Carbon capture & storage on Ammonia production (retrofit) | Chemicals | 92 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Medium-duty vehicle Internal Combustion Engine improvements (diesel) | Road Transport | 83 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Lighting - switch incandescent to LED, commercial | Building | 85 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Cropland afforestration | Forestry | 94 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Grassland nutrient management | Agriculture | 92 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Energy Efficiency from improved maintenance and process control | Petroleum & Gas | 65 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Directed inspection and maintenance on distribution network | Petroleum & Gas | 57 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Reduction of continuous, remote flaring | Petroleum & Gas | 69 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Carbon Capture and Storage - upstream | Petroleum & Gas | 50 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Combined heat and power efficiency improvement (retrofit) | Chemicals | 60 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Coal shift fuel to biomass (retrofit) | Chemicals | 48 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Ethylene cracking improvements (new build) | Chemicals | 47 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Medium-duty vehicle Internal Combustion Engine improvements (gasoline) | Road Transport | 57 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Lighting - switch CFL to LED, commercial | Building | 66 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Lighting - switch CFL to LED, residential | Building | 57 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Lighting - controls, commercial (new build) | Building | 68 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Electronics - office, commercial | Building | 68 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| HVAC - electric resistance heating to electric heat pump, residential (retrofit) | Building | 60 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| HVAC controls, commercial (retrofit) | Building | 52 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| HVAC - commercial (retrofit) | Building | 46 | 0 | 0.2 |
| HVAC - gas/oil heating, residential (retrofit) | Building | 60 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Water heating - replacement of electric, commercial | Building | 68 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Gas carbon capture & storage (retrofit) | Power | 25 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Improved planning | Petroleum & Gas | 15 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Energy efficiency from behavioral changes | Petroleum & Gas | 39 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Energy efficiency from improved behavior, maintenance, and process control on (retrofit)s | Petroleum & Gas | 32 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Replace compressor seals | Petroleum & Gas | 25 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Energy Efficiency requiring capital expenditure at process unit level on (retrofit)s | Petroleum & Gas | 20 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Coke substitution (new build) | Iron & Steel | 34 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Coke substitution (retrofit) | Iron & Steel | 16 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Direct casting | Iron & Steel | 39 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Smelt reduction (retrofit) | Iron & Steel | 42 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Efficient motor systems (retrofit) | Chemicals | 20 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Fuel shift oil to gas (retrofit) | Chemicals | 27 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Ethylene cracking imrovements (retrofit) | Chemicals | 24 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Carbon capture & storage on Ammonia production (new build) | Chemicals | 37 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Light-duty vehicle battery electric vehicle - improvement & market penetration | Road Transport | 39 | 0 | 0.1 |
| HVAC maintenance, residential (retrofit) | Building | 41 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Appliances - refrigerators, commercial | Building | 33 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Water heating - replacement of gas, residential | Building | 30 | 0 | 0.1 |
| HVAC - air conditioning, commercial (retrofit) | Building | 27 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Lighting - T12 to to T8/T5, commercial | Building | 38 | 0 | 0.1 |
| Waste heat recovery | Cement | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Blast furnace/basic oxygen furnace shift to electric arc furnace with direct reduced iron | Iron & Steel | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Light-duty vehicle compressed natural gas improvements & market penetration | Road Transport | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Water heating - replacement of gas, commercial | Building | 5 | 0 | 0 |