What it is
Edited by Paul Hawken and published in 2017, Drawdown ranks the 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming by their potential to reduce or sequester greenhouse gases by 2050. Each solution includes implementation cost, net savings, and total atmospheric CO2 reduction. A team of 70 researchers modeled every solution with peer-reviewed methodology.
Why we picked this
No other single resource gives you a ranked, data-backed map of what actually works at scale. The surprise rankings shake assumptions: reduced food waste and plant-rich diets rank higher than solar farms and electric vehicles. It transforms climate overwhelm into a clear action hierarchy.
Key takeaways
- Reduced food waste is the #1 solution by CO2 impact (70.53 gigatons by 2050), ahead of onshore wind turbines and utility-scale solar.
- The top 100 solutions collectively could reduce emissions by 1,051 gigatons of CO2 by 2050, enough to reach drawdown (the point where atmospheric greenhouse gas levels begin to decline).
- Many solutions are net profitable: clean cookstoves, LED lighting, and building insulation save more money than they cost to implement.