A new age in electrification Low-carbon electricity is at the
core of a sustainable energy system Low-carbon electricity is a
prerequisite to reducing fossil fuel use and to mitigating CO2
emissions not only in power generation but across all the end-
use sectors (industry, transport and buildings). The power
generation sector is responsible for roughly 40% of CO2
emissions, but it is a relatively centralised sector.
Decarbonising the world’s power sector impacts the entire energy
system and is crucial for achieving deep emissions cuts in a
relatively short time, until 2050, as required in the ETP 2012
2°C Scenario (2DS), which if achieved gives the world an 80%
chance of keeping average global temperature rise below 2°C
compared to pre industrial levels. - In the 2DS, the power
sector must cut global CO2 by almost 80% in 2050 from today’s
level of 12 GtCO2 per year. Deployment of low-carbon
technologies can cut average emissions per kilowatt-hour of the
electricity mix by nearly 90%, from around 500g/kWh in 2