Fork in Our Road

The Cost of Action

Taking bold action now comes with significant investment but delivers immeasurable benefits for humanity and the planet:

• CO₂ Removal: $500 billion–$6 trillion annually, using advanced technologies to draw down greenhouse gases.
• Methane Reduction: ~$100–$200 billion annually, scaling methane oxidation catalysts and satellite-based monitoring systems.
• Transition to Renewables: $5.4 trillion–$11.7 trillion annually until 2030, increasing to $9.3 trillion–$12.2 trillion annually in the following decades.

Total Estimated Costs of Action (Next 5–10 Years): Approximately $50 trillion–$100 trillion, depending on the speed and scale of implementation.

These investments not only stabilize our climate but also drive innovation, create millions of jobs, and set humanity on a path to sustainable prosperity. By acting decisively, we avoid far greater economic, environmental, and social losses.

The Cost of Inaction

Delaying action leads to catastrophic consequences, with escalating costs that far exceed those of proactive measures:

• Economic Collapse: Warming above 3°C could reduce global GDP by up to 34%, resulting in hundreds of trillions of dollars in lost output.
• Infrastructure Damage: Extreme weather events and rising sea levels could cause tens of trillions in annual damages by mid-century.
• Humanitarian Crises: Billions of lives disrupted through widespread displacement, resource scarcity, and significant loss of life.
• Biodiversity Loss: Ecosystem collapse, species extinctions, and irreversible damage to critical biomes.

Total Estimated Costs of Inaction (Long Term): Over $1,266 trillion, when accounting for financial, societal, and environmental losses.

Delaying action increases the risk of crossing irreversible tipping points, leading to cascading failures across ecosystems, economies, and societies.

A Tale of Two Futures

Our choice is clear: invest now to secure a livable planet, or delay and face a future defined by irreversible loss and hardship. Acting now not only costs far less than inaction, but it also unlocks opportunities to thrive:

• Clean Energy Transition: Renewable markets are growing at an annual rate of 17.2%, driving job creation, economic revitalization, and long-term resilience.
• Stability and Independence: Renewables provide energy security, reducing reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets.
• Global Collaboration: Collective action fosters innovation, strengthens alliances, and sets the stage for a sustainable global economy.

Pay now, and we secure a thriving future. Pay later, and the bill will be unimaginably higher.