Most of The World Could Be 100% Powered With Renewables by 2050

Almost three quarters of the world's countries could be powered entirely by renewable energy sources by 2050 – if we want it badly enough, that is.

That's according to an ambitious new 2050 roadmap that calculates a move to an emissions-free future would create millions of jobs, cut trillions in health and climate costs, and help save the planet from global warming.

The estimates, produced by a team of almost 30 scientists, are based on an assessment of the capabilities of 139 countries to transition to 100 percent wind, water, and solar power in the next three and a bit decades.

While such a far-reaching overhaul of existing energy infrastructure goes beyond what the UN's Paris climate agreement (COP21) actually calls for, the researchers say there are compelling reasons for going all in sooner rather than later.

"Our findings suggest that the benefits are so great that we should accelerate the transition to wind, water, and solar, as fast as possible," says one of the team, Mark Delucchi from the University of California, Berkeley, "by retiring fossil-fuel systems early wherever we can."