Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder outlined key steps the U.S. can take to reduce the country’s carbon dioxide emissions to zero in a new report released last week.

“The United States has less than 5% of the world’s population but is responsible for about 25% of historic carbon dioxide emissions,” said lead author Charles Kutscher. “(It) needs to take a leadership role in addressing climate change.”

The report, Accelerating the U.S. Clean Energy Transformation, focuses on transitioning from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources since 75% of the U.S.’s greenhouse gas emissions are from burning fossil fuels for energy.

Co-author Jeffrey Logan said the report contains sector-by-sector policy options that provide building blocks for federal, state and local governments.

While the U.S. and other countries are transitioning to clean energy like solar and wind, Kutscher said these technologies must be deployed much faster to address climate change.

“Committing to this clean energy transformation yields many benefits beyond addressing climate change,” Kutscher said.

“We can eliminate the high healthcare costs associated with air pollution, create millions of good-paying jobs and address systemic social justice issues all at the same time.”

For the electricity sector, the report suggests creating clean energy targets, implementing carbon taxes, expanding federal spending on renewable power and integrating electric vehicle charging and advanced transmission interconnections.

The report also recommends maximizing energy efficiency in buildings, using modern heat pump systems and minimizing embodied carbon emissions in construction materials.

For transportation, the report calls for transitioning government light-duty vehicles to electric by 2025, adopting a buy-back policy for internal combustion vehicles, promoting mass transit and walkable communities and issuing a moratorium of the sale and production of internal combustion vehicles by 2030.

Other recommendations include electrifying heating requirements, converting processes from fuels to electricity and hydrogen and reducing the cost of renewable hydrogen production and hydrogen storage.

When it comes to implementing these policy outlines, Kutscher said the country must begin moving quickly.

“We have already experienced severe climate change impacts, including extreme storms and flooding, extensive droughts and record wildfires,” he said.

Last week, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission unanimously approved a proposal to reduce ozone pollution and improve air quality in the Front Range.

Air quality data from 2018 to 2020 shows that the Denver Metro and North Front Range ozone nonattainment area will likely be reclassified to severe nonattainment status in early 2022.

“We know we need to reduce emissions even more,” said John Putnam, with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “We’re committed to continuing the action we need to take to bring the Front Range into attainment.”

The full report is available online at colorado.edu.