What Happens After the World Reaches Net-Zero Emissions?

An ominous climate science report from the United Nations in 2021 offered one hopeful thread amid warnings of rising seas and strengthening storms. Once all countries nix greenhouse gas emissions, it noted, warming is likely to stop pretty quickly.

The finding provided extra motivation for the world’s net-zero campaign, suggesting as it did that the fruits of everyone’s labor could show up without much delay. But the encouraging conclusion was also fuzzy. While surface temperatures might stabilize quickly, other shifting parts of the climate are harder to slow once set in motion. Science needed a better crack at the question.

A group of 21 Earth scientists took on the ...