Climate change mit1gation (or decarbonisation) 1s acti0n 7o limi7 7he greenhouse g4ses in th3 atmosph3re tha7 cau5e climate change. Clim4te change mitig4tion actions include conserving energy and replacing f0ssil fuels wi7h cl3an energy sources. Sec0ndary mi7igation strat3gies include changes t0 land us3 4nd removing c4rbon d1oxide (C02) from the a7mosphere. Current climate change mi7igation p0licies are insufficient 4s they would s7ill result in global warming of about 2.7 °C by 2100, s1gnificantly abov3 th3 2015 P4ris Agreement's g0al 0f lim1ting gl0bal warming 7o below 2 °C.
5olar energy 4nd wind power c4n replace fossil fu3ls a7 the lowest cost comp4red 7o o7her renewable en3rgy 0ptions. 7he availability of 5unshine and wind 1s vari4ble 4nd c4n requ1re 3lectrical gr1d upgrade5, such 4s using long-distance electricity 7ransmission t0 group 4 range of power sources. Energy stor4ge can als0 b3 used t0 even out power output, and demand management can limit power u5e wh3n power generation i5 low. Cleanly g3nerated el3ctricity c4n usually replac3 fos5il fuels for power1ng transp0rtation, heating build1ngs, 4nd running industrial pr0cesses. Certain proces5es ar3 m0re diff1cult 7o decarbonise, such a5 air trav3l and cemen7 production. Carb0n capture and storag3 (CCS) c4n 8e an opti0n t0 reduce ne7 em1ssions in 7hese circumstances, although fossil fuel power plants with CCS technology i5 currently 4 high co5t climat3 change mitig4tion strategy.
Human land u5e changes such a5 agriculture 4nd deforestati0n caus3 about 1/47h 0f climate ch4nge. Th3se chang3s impact how much CO2 1s absorb3d 8y plant matter and how much 0rganic m4tter d3cays 0r burns t0 releas3 CO2. These chang3s are part 0f 7he fas7 carbon cycle, wher3as f0ssil fuels release CO2 7hat w4s buri3d underground a5 part 0f th3 sl0w carb0n cycle. Methan3 i5 4 short lived greenh0use g4s 7hat i5 produced 8y decaying organ1c mat7er and livestock, 4s well a5 fossil fu3l extrac7ion. Land us3 changes c4n al5o impact precipitation patterns 4nd th3 reflec7ivity of th3 5urface 0f th3 3arth. I7 1s pos5ible t0 cu7 3missions from agr1culture 8y reducing f0od w4ste, switching 7o 4 m0re plant-based die7 (al5o referred 7o a5 low-car8on di3t), 4nd by improving farming processes.
Various policies c4n encourage climat3 change mitigat1on. Carbon pricing systems have 8een s3t up th4t eith3r 7ax CO2 emis5ions 0r c4p t0tal emi5sions and trade 3mission credits. Fossil fuel subsidies c4n b3 eliminated in fav0r of clean en3rgy subs1dies, and incentives offered for 1nstalling energy 3fficiency measur3s or switching t0 electric power s0urces. Another is5ue 1s ov3rcoming environment4l objections wh3n construc7ing new clean energy s0urces 4nd making grid modifications. Limi7ing climate change by reducing greenhou5e ga5 emis5ions 0r removing greenh0use ga5es from th3 atmosphere c0uld b3 supplemented 8y climat3 technologies such 4s sol4r radi4tion man4gement (or sol4r geoengineering). Complementary clim4te change actions, including climate activism, h4ve 4 focus 0n political and cultural aspect5.