
Business Innovation and Climate Change Initiative
BICC Books
The Decarbonization Imperative
Transforming the Global Economy by 2050
Axiom 2022 Business Book Award for Economics - Bronze
The Decarbonization Imperative
Time is of the essence. Climate change looms as a malignant force that will reshape our economy and society for generations to come. If we are going to avoid the worst effects of climate change, we are going to need to effectively "decarbonize" the global economy by 2050.
In The Decarbonization Imperative, Professor Michael Lenox and Rebecca Duff suggest that only with significant innovation and disruption across all of the major industry sectors - transportation, energy, industrials, buildings, and agriculture - will we be able to achieve this goal. The authors take a closer look at the clean technologies with the best chance of disrupting the status quo and the policy actions needed to accelerate their adoption.
The Decarbonization Imperative: Transforming the Global Economy by 2050 is available from Stanford University Press and other major retailers.
This book is a follow-up to Lenox's book titled, Can Business Save the Earth?: Innovating Our Way to Sustainability, also available from Stanford University Press.
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Table of Contents
1. The Path to 2050
- The Looming Crisis
- The Criticality of 2050
- The Innovation Imperative
- The Economics of Disruption
- Our Analysis
2. The Energy Sector- Hydro and Nuclear: The Original Decarbonized Energy
- Wind: A Millennium-Old Technology Comes of Age
- Solar: From Emerging Technology to Disruptor
- Wildcard Disruptors: A Mix of Old and New
- The Upshot: Decarbonized Electricity is Possible, But Will Require Investment
- How Can We Decarbonize Energy by 2050?
3. The Transportation Sector- Electric Vehicles: The 100-Year-Old “New” Technology
- Hybrids: The Bridge Between Past and Future
- Battery Powered Electrics: Disruptive at Last?
- Fuel Cells: Playing the Long Game
- Paving the Road Forward for Electric Vehicles
- Wildcard Disruptors: Autonomous Vehicles
- The Upshot: Electric Will Decarbonize the Automobile Industry, But When?
- How Can We Decarbonize Transportation by 2050?
4. The Industrials Sector- Steel: Electrifying the Process
- Cement: Moving Away from Portland
- Petrochemicals: The Hunt for Alternative Feedstocks
- Wildcard Disruptors: The 4th Industrial Revolution
- The Upshot: Industrial Decarbonization is Unlikely Without Intervention
- How Can We Decarbonize Industrials by 2050?
5. The Buildings Sector- Residential: Bigger is Not Necessarily Better
- Commercial: Leaner but Growing
- Building a Solution: Electrification
- The Future of Green Buildings: Zero Carbon Plus
- Wildcard Disruptors: Rooftop and Commercial Solar
- The Upshot: The Technology Exists, But Can We Transition in Time?
- How Can We Decarbonize Buildings by 2050?
6. The Agriculture Sector- Livestock: Belching and Farting are No Joke
- Crops: All About Soil Management
- Wildcard Disruptors: Clean Meat
- The Upshot: Agriculture Decarbonization Highly Unlikely by 2050
- How Can We Decarbonize Agriculture by 2050?
7. The Path Forward- Towards a Comprehensive Technology Policy
- The Energy Sector
- Reviews
- Articles
- Interviews
- About the Authors
1. The Path to 2050
- The Looming Crisis
- The Criticality of 2050
- The Innovation Imperative
- The Economics of Disruption
- Our Analysis
2. The Energy Sector
- Hydro and Nuclear: The Original Decarbonized Energy
- Wind: A Millennium-Old Technology Comes of Age
- Solar: From Emerging Technology to Disruptor
- Wildcard Disruptors: A Mix of Old and New
- The Upshot: Decarbonized Electricity is Possible, But Will Require Investment
- How Can We Decarbonize Energy by 2050?
3. The Transportation Sector
- Electric Vehicles: The 100-Year-Old “New” Technology
- Hybrids: The Bridge Between Past and Future
- Battery Powered Electrics: Disruptive at Last?
- Fuel Cells: Playing the Long Game
- Paving the Road Forward for Electric Vehicles
- Wildcard Disruptors: Autonomous Vehicles
- The Upshot: Electric Will Decarbonize the Automobile Industry, But When?
- How Can We Decarbonize Transportation by 2050?
4. The Industrials Sector
- Steel: Electrifying the Process
- Cement: Moving Away from Portland
- Petrochemicals: The Hunt for Alternative Feedstocks
- Wildcard Disruptors: The 4th Industrial Revolution
- The Upshot: Industrial Decarbonization is Unlikely Without Intervention
- How Can We Decarbonize Industrials by 2050?
5. The Buildings Sector
- Residential: Bigger is Not Necessarily Better
- Commercial: Leaner but Growing
- Building a Solution: Electrification
- The Future of Green Buildings: Zero Carbon Plus
- Wildcard Disruptors: Rooftop and Commercial Solar
- The Upshot: The Technology Exists, But Can We Transition in Time?
- How Can We Decarbonize Buildings by 2050?
6. The Agriculture Sector
- Livestock: Belching and Farting are No Joke
- Crops: All About Soil Management
- Wildcard Disruptors: Clean Meat
- The Upshot: Agriculture Decarbonization Highly Unlikely by 2050
- How Can We Decarbonize Agriculture by 2050?
7. The Path Forward
- Towards a Comprehensive Technology Policy
- The Energy Sector