If we were to cut CO2 emissions by a compound 5% a year, by 2050 we'd have cut emissions by 80%, by 2070 92%. This has to be the target we aim for. And what we are seeing is that emissions from burning coal are peaking, partly because of gas being used to generate electricity and partly because of the growth of renewables. It's nowhere near fast enough but at least it's happening.
Now the big growth in emissions is from oil used for transport. This is where we need to act. We need global policies to encourage the replacement of petrol/diesel vehicles (ICEVs) with electric vehicles (EVs). Yes, the "sticker prices" of EVs are falling, and yes EVs are now cheaper to run than ICEVs. But the transition isn't happening fast enough. It needs a nudge from government policy: EV target sales percentages (as in California and Norway), subsidies to encourage take-up of EVs, and higher taxes on petrol and diesel.
Remember, it's not enough that emissions peak. To stop the level of CO2 in the atmosphere from rising, they need to get to zero or near zero (because there are carbon sinks). Only when emissions reach zero will world temperatures stop rising, and even then it is likely that there are lags in the system which will will mean that temperatures will go on rising for a decade or even longer after net emissions reach zero. We don't have time to waste. We must accelerate the phasing out of coal, and must encourage a rapid uptake of EVs.
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