Achieving Global Carbon Neutrality Together with Economic Development

08 April 2021

In this paper we use the United Nations Global Policy Model (GPM) to make projections to 2030 in order to help clarify some of the likely major Economic and Environmental challenges facing Developing Economies in their efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The paper also describes the dynamics and potential impact on Developing Economies of changes that could help the world to make substantial progress by 2040 in reaching the ambitious, but absolutely necessary, target of Zero Net Carbon Emissions by midcentury. This paper’s policy recommendation is to undertake massive direct Public Investment in low-carbon infrastructure and technology. Such an undertaking should, of course, provide a substantial stimulus to Economic Growth and Development. But this welcome benefit has to be combined with the dominant incentive to propel dramatic environmental change.