Table of Solutions

Here, we present the individual solutions reviewed and assessed by Project Drawdown, including their relevant sector(s) and their impact on reducing heat-trapping gases. This list is extensive but not exhaustive, and we continue to add to it as a living project.

Project Drawdown uses different scenarios to assess what determined, global efforts to address climate change might look like. Both scenarios shown here are plausible and economically realistic. Drawdown Scenario 1 is roughly in line with 2˚C temperature rise by 2100, while Drawdown Scenario 2 is roughly in-line with 1.5˚C temperature rise at century’s end.

The results shown here are based on projected emissions impact globally. The relative importance of a given solution can differ significantly depending on context and particular ecological, economic, political, or social conditions. We invite a deeper dive into the many particularities and nuances of all of these solutions.

* Gigatons CO2 Equivalent Reduced / Sequestered (2020–2050)

Solution	Sector(s)	Scenario 1 *	Scenario 2 *
Abandoned Farmland Restoration	Land Sinks	12.48	20.32
Alternative Cement	Industry	7.70	15.56
Alternative Refrigerants	Industry / Buildings	42.73	48.75
Bamboo Production	Land Sinks	7.70	19.60
Bicycle Infrastructure	Transportation	2.73	4.63
Biochar Production	Engineered Sinks	1.36	3.00
Biogas for Cooking	Buildings	4.65	9.70
Biomass Power	Electricity	2.62	3.59
Bioplastics	Industry	1.33	2.48
Building Automation Systems	Electricity / Buildings	9.55	14.01
Building Retrofitting	Electricity / Buildings
Carpooling	Transportation	9.06	11.07
Clean Cooking	Buildings	31.38	76.34
Coastal Wetland Protection	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Coastal and Ocean Sinks	1.20	1.62
Coastal Wetland Restoration	Coastal and Ocean Sinks	0.76	1.00
Composting	Industry	1.13	1.40
Concentrated Solar Power	Electricity	18.00	21.51
Conservation Agriculture	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	12.81	8.08
Distributed Energy Storage	Electricity
Distributed Solar Photovoltaics	Electricity	26.65	64.86
District Heating	Electricity / Buildings	6.18	9.68
Dynamic Glass	Electricity / Buildings	0.34	0.54
Efficient Aviation	Transportation	5.29	5.82
Efficient Ocean Shipping	Transportation	6.72	9.83
Efficient Trucks	Transportation	9.15	10.77
Electric Bicycles	Transportation	1.39	1.55
Electric Cars	Transportation	7.66	9.76
Electric Trains	Transportation	1.91	3.25
Family Planning and Education	Health and Education	68.90	68.90
Farm Irrigation Efficiency	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use	1.13	2.07
Forest Protection	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	5.55	8.83
Geothermal Power	Electricity	6.15	9.17
Grassland Protection	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	3.35	4.25
Green and Cool Roofs	Electricity / Buildings	0.53	0.99
Grid Flexibility	Electricity
High-Efficiency Heat Pumps	Electricity / Buildings	4.04	9.05
High-Performance Glass	Electricity / Buildings	8.82	11.34
High-Speed Rail	Transportation	1.26	3.62
Hybrid Cars	Transportation	1.61	4.71
Improved Aquaculture	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use	0.50	0.78
Improved Cattle Feed	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use	4.42	15.05
Improved Fisheries	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Coastal and Ocean Sinks	1.01	1.54
Improved Manure Management	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use	3.34	6.09
Improved Rice Production	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	9.85	14.43
Indigenous Peoples’ Forest Tenure	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	8.69	12.51
Insulation	Electricity / Buildings	15.38	18.54
LED Lighting	Electricity	14.45	15.69
Landfill Methane Capture	Electricity / Industry	3.89	-1.48
Low-Flow Fixtures	Electricity / Buildings	0.93	1.52
Macroalgae Protection and Restoration	Coastal and Ocean Sinks	2.61	3.78
Managed Grazing	Land Sinks	13.72	20.92
Methane Digesters	Electricity / Industry	6.02	7.05
Methane Leak Management	Other Energy	25.83	31.29
Micro Wind Turbines	Electricity	0.09	0.11
Microgrids	Electricity
Multistrata Agroforestry	Land Sinks	13.26	23.94
Net Zero Buildings	Electricity / Buildings
Nuclear Power	Electricity	3.17	3.64
Nutrient Management	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use	2.77	11.48
Ocean Power	Electricity	1.27	0.80
Offshore Wind Turbines	Electricity	10.22	9.89
Onshore Wind Turbines	Electricity	46.95	143.56
Peatland Protection and Rewetting	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	25.40	40.27
Perennial Biomass Production	Land Sinks	4.00	7.04
Perennial Staple Crops	Land Sinks	16.34	32.87
Plant-Rich Diets	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	78.33	103.11
Public Transit	Transportation	9.42	15.42
Recycled Metals	Industry	4.31	12.34
Recycled Paper	Industry	2.28	2.90
Recycled Plastics	Industry	0.52	1.69
Recycling	Industry	10.36	11.29
Reduced Food Waste	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	88.50	102.20
Reduced Plastics	Industry	3.76	5.40
Refrigerant Management	Industry / Buildings	57.15	57.15
Regenerative Annual Cropping	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	15.12	23.21
Seafloor Protection	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use	3.80	5.14
Seaweed Farming	Coastal and Ocean Sinks / Coastal and Ocean Sinks	2.50	4.72
Silvopasture	Land Sinks	26.58	42.31
Small Hydropower	Electricity	1.65	3.21
Smart Thermostats	Electricity / Buildings	6.91	7.25
Solar Hot Water	Electricity / Buildings	3.41	13.73
Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	1.36	0.68
System of Rice Intensification	Food, Agriculture, and Land Use / Land Sinks	2.90	4.44
Telepresence	Transportation	2.64	4.43
Temperate Forest Restoration	Land Sinks	19.42	27.85
Tree Intercropping	Land Sinks	15.03	24.40
Tree Plantations (on Degraded Land)	Land Sinks	22.04	35.09
Tropical Forest Restoration	Land Sinks	54.45	85.14
Utility-Scale Energy Storage	Electricity
Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaics	Electricity	40.83	111.59
Walkable Cities	Transportation	2.83	3.51
Waste to Energy	Electricity / Industry	6.27	5.24
Water Distribution Efficiency	Electricity	0.61	0.86
		1050.91	1637.26

Table of Solutions

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