Charting net zero: Insights on what the transition could look like

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As we highlight in a new report, a transition to net-zero emissions would entail an economic transformation that would affect all countries and all sectors of the economy, either directly or indirectly. This transformation comes with both opportunities and risks. Here are eight charts from recent McKinsey articles and reports that show what the net-zero transition could look like, as well as some of the challenges leaders—and the global population—could confront.

In the NGFS Net Zero 2050 scenario, annual spending on physical assets for energy and land-use systems would rise by about $3.5 trillion more than today.
Eleven high-potential value pools could be worth more than $12 trillion of yearly revenues by 2030 as the net-zero transition advances.
Long-duration energy storage has the potential to deploy 1.5 to 2.5 terawatts of power capacity by 2040 and the flexibility required for net-zero power systems.
By 2035, the largest automotive markets (the European Union, China, and the United States) will be fully electric.
Demand for certain green materials could exceed supply in large markets.
Real-estate owners and investors can assess the effects of physical risks and climate transition on the equity value of assets in a real-estate portfolio.
The net-zero transition could result in about 200 million gains and 185 million losses of direct and indirect jobs by 2050, in the NGFS Net Zero 2050 scenario.
In a 2.0°C warming scenario, more than half of the global population could be exposed to a climate hazard.

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