The first step is to address the actual problem, which is energy, not CO2.
We do not have enough naturally stored hydrocarbons, to allow all of the worlds current
population to sustain a first world lifestyle for more than a few decades at best.
We need a way to allow everyone alive to have enough energy available to achieve a first world lifestyle,
if they choose to, anything less leads to energy haves and have not's.
I think everyone can agree that as we exploit our natural hydrocarbon reserves, the remainder will be more expensive
and more difficult to extract. (I.E. the price of oil will continue to rise).
Solar and wind have great possibilities, but poor capabilities, the energy is there, but not
when, and in the quantities needed. Energy storage is necessary to make ether wind or solar effective.
The storage will need to be able to move the energy seasonally, so Fall surplus to winter heating,
or Spring surplus to summer cooling.
I see a market driven solution that will allow a sustainable carbon neutral path forward.
As the price of oil increases, the refineries will look at the profit from buying and refining oil, compared
to making finished fuel products from Hydrogen from water, Carbon from atmospheric CO2, and electricity.
The current published technology has the efficiency of making fuels from scratch at between 60 and 80%,
this equates out to oil priced between $75 and $97 a barrel.
The fuels would when burned add ZERO net carbon to the atmosphere, as the carbon would have been pulled from the
atmosphere to make the fuel.
This path would allow a slower transition to more efficient vehicles, while radically reducing current emissions.
It would also take care of the upcoming storage problem from surplus wind and solar power.
People choose new ways of doing things, because the new ways are better than before, in ways that work for them.
Not the abstract ideas of what is good for the planet, but what helps my family now!
They will buy the carbon neutral fuel at the pump, because it will be the cheapest fuel that will get the job done.
Whatever country who develops the best process can license it around the world, but I suspect a good process would be copied quickly.
Nature choose hydrocarbons are the best way to store energy, we could do far worse than following how nature did something!