At this point, it isn’t a secret that renewable energy is the future.

But how do countries get there in time to make a dent on climate change and to reduce dependency on fossil fuels?

A new roadmap outlines the specific infrastructure changes that 139 countries can make to be entirely powered by wind, water and sunlight by the year 2050.

This transition would not just move worldwide energy consumption to clean, renewable electricity but it would provide a net increase in more than 24 million long-term jobs, an annual decrease in four million to seven million air pollution deaths each year, a stabilization of energy prices and an annual savings of more than $20 trillion to health and climate costs, according to the roadmap from Mark Z. Jacobson, director of Stanford University's Atmosphere and Energy Program and co-founder of the Solutions Project, a U.S. non-profit.

The roadmap details how each of the 139 nations can use wind, water and solar energy generators to be 80 percent renewable by 2030 and 100 percent renewable by 2050. It also details how much land and rooftop area these power sources would require—about one percent of total available, with most of the open space between wind turbines that can be used for multiple purposes—and how this approach would reduce energy demand and cost compared to current offerings.

"Both individuals and governments can lead this change. Policymakers don't usually want to commit to doing something unless there is some reasonable science that can show it is possible, and that is what we are trying to do," Jacobson says. "There are other scenarios. We are not saying that there is only one way we can do this, but having a scenario gives people direction."

The analysis focused on each country's electricity, transportation, heating/cooling, industrial and agriculture/forestry/fishing sectors and which countries are projected to have the easiest time making the transition to 100% renewable energy. These 139 countries collectively emit over 99 percent of all carbon dioxide worldwide, including the United States, China and the European Union. The report also points to those countries that will have the hardest time making the transition, including those places with the highest population and those small countries that are surrounded by lots of ocean, such as Singapore.

Benefits to Going Renewable

If this transition is to take place, there are a number of collateral benefits, the Stanford study says.

By eliminating oil, gas and uranium use, the energy associated with mining, transporting and refining these fuels is also eliminated, reducing international power demand by about 13 percent. Because electricity is more efficient than burning fossil fuels, demand should go down another 23 percent. The change in infrastructure means that countries won’t be dependent on one another for fossil fuels, reducing the frequency of international conflicts over energy. And those without energy now would have access to clean, renewable power.

"Aside from eliminating emissions and avoiding 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming and beginning the process of letting carbon dioxide drain from the Earth's atmosphere, transitioning eliminates four million to seven million air pollution deaths each year and creates over 24 million long-term, full-time jobs by these plans," Jacobson says. "What is different between this study and other studies that have proposed solutions is that we are trying to examine not only the climate benefits of reducing carbon but also the air pollution benefits, job benefits, and cost benefits"

The full research can be found in the journal Joule.