A Master Plan for the Climate Crisis by outstanding scientists and advisors with unprecedented, detailed models and shortened, just pathways for 100% renewable energy in all sectors while cooling down the Earth within its planetary boundaries

The Holocene Project brings together world‘s leading researchers, listed on Stanford/Elsevier‘s Top 2% Scientist Ranking, to devise transformation pathways within planetary boundaries for climate change. It aims to reduce emissions using 100% renewable energy in all regions of the world and remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Additionally, it aims for global just conditions for human health, society, economy, prosperity, and biodiversity

Current research shows pathways to achieving net-zero emissions. Yet, alongside the urgent need to cut CO2 emissions, a significant quantity of CO2 must also be extracted from the atmosphere. The Holocene Project aims to deliver a comprehensive and efficient strategy to accomplish this within the century. This is crucial for successful international negotiations and agreements to bring CO2 level back to its planetary boundary.

Contact

Download Flyer

What is the Holocene?

The Holocene is the geological epoch of the last 11,700 years. Its stable temperatures were essential for developing agriculture and establishing sedentary communities, laying the foundation for the civilizations we know today.

The planetary boundary framework defines the “safe operating space for humanity” as below 350 ppm of atmospheric CO2, corresponding to a temperature less than 1 °C above the reference period 1850-1900 before the Industrial Revolution.

With global mean surface temperature exceeding 1.5 °C in 2024, humanity is deep in the midst of an urgent and worldwide climate crisis.

"We are on the highway to climate hell"

UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the 2022 World Climate Conference

Figure is from A short history of the successes and failures of the international climate change negotiations by Mark Maslin, John Lang and Fiona Harvey under the CC-BY license. Figure has been modified by the Holocene Project team.

Negotiations failing big

In the last 30 years the amount of human-emitted CO2 has doubled, representing a collective failure of the world’s leaders to rise to Margaret Thatcher’s 1989 global call to action
- John Lang and Fiona Harvey

The development of CO2 concentration shows that the planetary boundary has been exceeded. Political leaders have been unsuccessful in setting framework conditions that respect this boundary.

The Holocene study will show what is necessary and possible as a scientific basis for developing the needed political framework conditions to return to the safe planetary boundary of 350 ppm.

The geographical distribution of global and regional tipping elements, color-coded according to the best estimate for their temperature thresholds, beyond which the element would likely be 'tipped'. Figure designed at PIK under the CC-BY license, based on Armstrong McKay et al., Science (2022), modified by EduClimate.org with the text in red.

On the way to 2.7 °C we risk irreversible change

Many tipping elements in the Earth‘s system are close to their temperature thresholds. Once surpassed, a further increase in the average temperature of the Earth will become irreversible, with catastrophic consequences. Climate scientists declare 1 °C as the planetary boundary.

"Please help me, show me the roadmap for a phase-out of fossil fuel that will allow for sustainable socioeconomic development, unless you want to take the world back into caves."

COP28 president Ahmed al-Jaber at an online event on 21 November hosted by She Changes Climate

Cutting-edge models

The Holocene Project team has assembled world-leading scientists and institutions to develop cutting-edge energy and carbon-sink models, considering a wide array of proven technologies and addressing social needs.

This Holocene Study will allow us to compute optimal collaborative paths to less than 350 ppm and 1 °C warming that are both economically and socially viable for 800 regions across the globe. We will propose these tailored strategies to key policymakers around the world, paving the way for comprehensive and effective social transition.

This kind of work has not yet been done on such a granular and global scale, but is absolutely necessary to facilitate the timely phase-out of fossil fuels and reduction of CO2 concentration, preventing irreversible climate breakdown.

The Holocene Study

The Holocene Study is a collaboration between some of the most capable researchers globally, with the objective to find a timely global, efficient, low investment pathway to

reduce the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere to safe levels below 350 ppm (climate safety) and
achieve a sustainable global society (clean energy prosperity) with zero emissions.

It is the only one of its kind pursuing a CO2 concentration in the atmosphere of 350 ppm, while minimising the risks of the tipping points. It is also unique in having global net-zero emission targets for 2030, 2035 and 2040, which increases the probability of staying under 1,5° global warming.

The study will enable policy makers in all regions to implement accelerated zero emission roadmaps to 350 ppm incorporating:

100% clean, renewable energy in abundance for all regions of the world, not only for rich countries;
a circular economy with zero waste and zero emissions;
regenerative agriculture and forestry producing affordable, healthy food for everyone; storable and sustainable bioenergy; sustainable construction materials; and naturally sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere by photosynthesis.

The solar energy potential (23,000 TW) alone is more than 1,000 times the current energy consumption worldwide (16 TW). The combination of wind, solar and storage energy is already the cheapest energy available!

"The door is still open for a safe landing of humanity"

Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström at Senckenberg Distinguished Lecture in November 2023

The Holocene Project strives to be a transformative force in international negotiations.

By showcasing that global sustainable transformation is not only still possible but actually economically sensible, we aim to redefine the narrative and inspire positive action worldwide.

To achieve this, the Holocene Project needs an annual funding commitment of $2.1 million for 2025, and additionally $4.4 m. yearly for 2026-2030.

Contact

Download Flyer

The Holocene Study compared to other studies

The Holocene Study is a groundbreaking global study that provides an ambitious roadmap for reaching the planetary boundary of 350 ppm in 2100. It focuses on energy, industry, and negative emission technologies with the highest resolution and fastest path to meet the planetary boundary for climate. This study is of utmost importance in our fight against climate change.