While certain areas of the natural resources sector, such as metals production, are far from carbon neutral, they are critical to facilitating large scale aggregated carbon reductions. Among others, this includes the building out of renewable infrastructure, production of more environmentally friendly blue and green hydrogen, acceleration of recycling rates to reduce energy consumption and hence emissions, smart farming, sustainable proteins, and the application of innovative science. Many trillions of dollars will need to be invested, not only significantly increasing the demand and price for those natural resources that enable decarbonisation but, very importantly, also presenting opportunities for investors in the myriad enablers required to achieve net zero. Natural resources are a requisite for decarbonisation
In effect, dramatic action is required before 2030 in order to achieve those pledges, and some countries are even beginning to bring forward their net zero deadlines. 1 This represents a huge and wide commitment towards net zero, with the aim of achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases (GHG) put into the atmosphere and those taken out, the most significant being carbon dioxide. In the fight against global climate change, more than 120 countries have pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by around 2050, complemented by more than 100 regional governments, 800 cities and companies.