A low-carbon economy is an economy based on energy sources that produce low levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions and is seen as a step towards attaining a zero carbon economy. Such emissions due to human activity have been the dominant cause of climate change since the mid-twentieth century. Their continuation may have irreversible effects for ecosystems and humans.
Shifting to a low-carbon economy on a global scale could produce substantial benefits for both developed and developing countries. An increasing number of countries and regions have been designing and implementing strategies for reducing emissions, although there has been much criticism that most of these are still far from adequate.