Net-Zero Pathways [DRAFT]

Since 2018, C2ES has worked with dozens of leading companies across the economy — power, transportation, finance, tech, oil and gas, chemicals, cement, manufacturing, and agriculture — to chart pathways to a net-zero economy. Through the Net-Zero Pathways Initiative, we focus on policy campaigns, innovation, and building the political economy for change. Our unique value lies in bringing business voices to the table, backed by rigorous research and analysis and deep policy expertise, to turn today's energy demand boom into tomorrow's cleaner, more resilient grid.

Policy Campaigns

C2ES is working to ensure that the generational investment that will be made in electric power generation in the next 5-10 years leads to a cleaner, more reliable electricity system that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and puts the U.S. on a path to net zero. That’s why we’re all in on permitting reform. If we can give hyperscalers the option to have both fast and clean, most will pay more to do both, but if we make them choose, they will pick speed to power. C2ES is working with partners across the political spectrum to ensure common sense permitting reforms can help accelerate developing and connecting clean energy and storage resources to the grid and addressing the transmission issues that are preventing maximizing investment in clean energy.

Our Approach

Sentence about how we engage business voices on policy campaigns.

Sentence about how we leverage research and analysis on policy campaigns.

Sentence about how we leverage our policy expertise on policy campaigns.

Permitting Reform
Clean Energy and Manufacturing Investments
25 Leading Companies: Pass Climate and Clean Energy Investments NOW

Innovation

Over the next few years, we are also working to ensure that we have the most conducive platform to support innovation, invest in research, development, demonstration and deployment, address the “valley of death” in financing, and create the conditions to commercialize and scale critical-path technologies we will need to achieve net-zero. To do this, we are focused on leveraging the interest in domestic manufacturing and securing supply chains and utilizing administrative authorities in new ways to help advance key technologies. Our Innovation program also includes our “Closer Look” research, which is a series investigating important facets of the decarbonization challenge, focusing on key technologies, critical policy instruments, and cross-sectoral challenges. These briefs explore policy implications and outline key steps needed to reach net-zero by mid-century.

Our Approach

Sentence about how we engage business voices on innovation.

Sentence about how we leverage research and analysis on innovation.

Sentence about how we leverage our policy expertise on innovation.

Innovation Program
Clean Hydrogen Working Group
Engineered Carbon Removal Working Group
Long Duration Energy Storage Working Group
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Working Group
Publication
C2ES Innovation Policy Matrix

Closer Look Briefs

Publication
Drilling Down
Publication
Methane Pyrolysis for Hydrogen Production
Publication
Advanced Nuclear Process Heat for Industrial Decarbonization
Publication
Clearing Roadblocks for Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Transportation
Publication
Unlocking Precision Agriculture's Climate Potential
Publication
A Building Block for Climate Action: Reporting on Embodied Emissions
Publication
Engineered Carbon Dioxide Removal: Scalability and Durability
Publication
Clean Industrial Heat: A Technology Inclusive Framework
Publication
Using Digitalization to Achieve Decarbonization Goals
Publication
Clean Heat Pathways for Industrial Decarbonization
Publication
Catalyzing Investment with a National Climate Bank

Regional Clean Economies

We are also working to build the political economy of support for the advanced energy and manufacturing future through our Regional Clean Economies initiative. C2ES hosts a series of regional roundtables to elevate a diverse set of local perspectives that can help strengthen state and federal climate policy outcomes and, importantly, identify concrete steps to better align the long-term vitality of these communities with the urgent task of facilitating economy-wide decarbonization.

Our Approach

Sentence about how we engage business voices on RCE.

Sentence about how we leverage research and analysis on RCE.

Sentence about how we leverage our policy expertise on RCE.

Regional Clean Economies Initiative
Southeast Regional Summit: Securing the Critical Battery Materials Supply Chain
A Roadmap for Securing the Critical Battery Materials Supply Chain in the Southeast United States

Additional Research and Analysis

In-depth background briefs examining the key challenges, opportunities, and policy pathways for decarbonizing major U.S. economic sectors.

Publication
Decarbonizing U.S. Agriculture, Forestry, and Land Use
Publication
Decarbonizing U.S. Buildings
Publication
Decarbonizing U.S. Industry
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Decarbonizing U.S. Oil and Gas
Publication
Decarbonizing U.S. Power
Publication
Decarbonizing U.S. Transportation
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