This study published jointly by the prestigious partnership of McKinsey & Company and the Conference Board - along with environmental organization and company sponsors - could figure large in eventual serious talks on costs of achieving significant greenhouse gas emissions.

It has not yet attracted the widespread media interest some might have anticipated, given the potential influence of McKinsey and the Conference Board and sponsorship by groups including Environmental Defense, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Honeywell, PG&E, and Shell. The study's "basic conclusion" in its own words:

The United States could reduce GHG emissions in 2030 by 3.0 to 4.5 gigatons of CO2e using tested approaches and high-potential emerging technologies. These reductions would involve pursuing a wide array of abatement options with marginal costs less than $50 per ton, with the average net cost to the economy being far lower if the nation can capture sizable gains from energy efficiency. Achieving these reductions at the lowest cost to the economy, however, will require strong, coordinated, economy-wide action that begins in the near future.

Visitors to the site can download a PDF of the executive summary (460 KB) or the full report (4.11 MB), watch a video presentation, or see a slideshow (7 MB).