Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2023
For the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Analysis Group Senior Advisor Susan F. Tierney served as a member of a committee of energy and climate experts who have issued a report providing recommendations to help decision makers in government, communities, the private sector, and civil society overcome obstacles to achieving an equitable transition to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the authors, decarbonization will provide a host of benefits – from better public health to new economic opportunities.
Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions is the second of two reports by the committee. The first report, released in 2021, outlined a policy blueprint that could put the US on track to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. In this second report, the committee assesses federal and subnational climate and energy policies to identify policy gaps and barriers to implementation that could prevent the US from meeting its 2050 emissions goal. The committee’s analysis resulted in 84 recommendations for a variety of government, non-profit, and private-sector actors. These recommendations cover five major objectives of US decarbonization policy: GHG emission reductions, equity and fairness, public health, employment, and public engagement.