Limiting global warming to 2°C or less will require global emissions of greenhouse gases to be deeply reduced by 2050. This will require a profound transformation of how energy is supplied and used around the world. The DDPP is charting the path to this transformation, starting now, one country at a time.

Deep decarbonization pathways fill a key gap in climate policy. Within countries, they provide a critical, missing long-term framework for informing and coordinating policy and business decisions. Internationally, they provide a transparent benchmark for evaluating national commitments.

DDPP research teams study decarbonization in their own countries. Each team defines its own pathways to a low carbon energy system that still provides all the energy services their society needs, taking into account current infrastructure, natural resources, and stage of socio-economic development.

The country research teams are building a new global knowledge base for decarbonization, transparently sharing results, data, and methods.   The DDPP has developed a unique set of analytical tools for combining and comparing individual country pathways, allowing the global impact to be more clearly seen.

The DDPP identifies problems and finds solutions on the road to deep decarbonization. The pathways are rigorous, detailed, sector-by-sector descriptions of what deep decarbonization requires in each country over time, in terms of technologies, infrastructure, investment needs, and international support.

The DDPP is already changing the climate policy discussion both within countries and among them. By showing concretely how 2°C can be achieved and what the enabling conditions are, it is altering the focus from incremental change to transformation, and shining a bright new light on the benefits of cooperation.