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The World Green Building Council launched an initiative to create an enabling environment that allows all buildings to generate clean power and produce zero net emissions worldwide by 2050. The Council and its partners will collaborate to develop regionally specific net zero certifications and standards, and training programs for practitioners.

Business leaders from the global non-profit initiative The B Team issued a call to action urging world leaders to formally commit to a global goal of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. The B Team leaders include Sir Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Dr. Mo Ibrahim (Celtel), Guilherme Leal (Natura), François-Henri Pinault (Kering), Paul Polman (Unilever), and Ratan Tata (Tata Group).

"Circular Economy in India: Rethinking Growth for Long-Term Prosperity" (Ellen Macarthur Foundation) finds that following a circular economy development path could unlock $624 billion in benefits annually by 2050, compared to the country's current development path. The report also finds that this development path would enable India to cut GHG emissions by an additional 44% by 2050, compared to its current development path.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that more than 1 million electric vehicles (EVs) were on the road in 2015, including 400,000 in the United States. In order to limit global warming to 2°C or less, the agency says the world will need 150 million EVs by 2030 and 1 billion by 2050, implying a 21 percent compound annual growth rate from now until 2050.

Europe is on track to reduce its carbon emissions by 44% by 2050 -- well below the 80% to 95% reduction that experts say is needed to avert catastrophic climate change. That shows the need for long-term planning and more ambitious targets, campaigners say. "This trend shows the nonsense of pursuing only a business-as-usual scenario and underlines the need for coherent long-term policy development," says Adrian Joyce of EuroACE

NRG Energy announced new long-term sustainability targets, which include slashing carbon-dioxide emissions from 2014 levels 50 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050.

Kellogg has announced new science-based emissions targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its operations 65 percent and help its suppliers reduce their emissions 50 percent by 2050 against a 2015 baseline.

Kellogg has announced new science-based emissions targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its operations 65 percent and help its suppliers reduce their emissions 50 percent by 2050 against a 2015 baseline.

AkzoNobel has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality and use 100% renewable energy by 2050, as part of its Planet Possible sustainability agenda. The company currently sources 40% of its energy from renewables.

Economic and population growth on top of climate change could lead to serious water shortages across a broad swath of Asia by the year 2050, a newly published study by MIT scientists has found.

A draft report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that the world will have to cut greenhouse gas emissions between 40% and 70% from 2010 levels by 2050 to limit global average temperature increases to 2° C above pre-industrial levels. The report summarizes the 3 major UN climate reports released over the past year.

The International Panel on Climate Change has already warned of irreversible damage linked to greenhouse gas emissions and called for an 80-percent reduction of power-sector emissions by 2050. "We decided to go a little further."

The US could source 100% of its electricity needs from renewables by 2050, according to Stanford. The report said that under its model, land-based wind and offshore wind would provide 30.9% and 19.1% of the nation's electricity, respectively. Solar, hydroelectric, geothermal and hydro power would supply the remaining capacity. The report added that the plan would create 2,815,850 40-year operation jobs, and 2,285,816 40-year construction jobs.

Japanese car manufacturing giant Toyota is committing to all but eliminate carbon emissions from its production processes by 2050.

At the COP23 conference in Bonn, Germany, mayors of 25 major cities from around the globe have signed a commitment to make their cities carbon-neutral by 2050. The list includes US cities Boston; Los Angeles; New York City; Philadelphia; Austin, Texas; and Portland, Ore.

Honda launched its "Green Path" approach-a suite of initiatives to reduce the total life-cycle environmental impact of its products and operations in North America. Notable initiatives include pledging to reduce its total GHG emissions by 50% from 2000 levels by 2050, investing $210 million in a paint facility to cut CO2 emissions in the painting process by 18% and reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 66%, and more.

For a growing number of companies, fighting climate change is a zero-sum game. In late September, several organizations associated with nonprofit sustainability outfit The B Team declared a "net zero by 2050" (PDF) aspiration pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions. Among them: consumer products giant Unilever; apparel company Kering; Chinese construction company Broad Group; African telecommunications carrier Econet; Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura; and British-born investment group Virgin - a geographically diverse group that underscores the global nature of climate challenges.

Unregulated carbon pollution from aviation is the fastest-growing source of the greenhouse gas emissions driving global climate change. In fact, if the entire aviation sector were a country, it would be one of the top 10 carbon-polluting nations on the planet. The good news is that we now have a process in place to curb international aviation's skyrocketing emissions. For the first time ever, the United Nations' civil aviation body agreed last week to put a cap on the emissions for an international sector rather than a country. International aviation already accounts for over 2% of global carbon emissions. But this number will soar as demand for air travel continues to rises. In 2010, the aviation industry carried 2.4 billion passengers; in 2050, the number is forecast to rise to 16 billion.

Last month, the World Green Building Council announced its ambitious new project, Advancing Net Zero, which aims to make all buildings net zero by 2050. Here are five companies that are providing first-rate technology, building products and services that have been and will continue to be important tools for the evolution of net zero buildings.

The UN released a report finding that a transformational change in global aviation's efforts to promote economic growth and combat climate change could deliver industry savings up to $70 trillion by 2050. Nancy Young, vice president of Airlines for America, said biofuels can help reduce carbon emissions over time by the commercial airline industry.