Net zero is…
Ensuring an equal balance between emissions produced and emissions ‘removed’ from the atmosphere.
The UK has a set target to be net zero by 2050, however the council is aiming to achieve this goal by 2030.
To achieve net zero, it is imperative to decarbonise national systems. This reduces the cumulative emissions being released into the atmosphere, relieving the pressure from global warming. Becoming net zero should primarily be achieved through a rapid reduction in carbon emissions, any remaining emissions that cannot be reduced will need to be offset through for example carbon credits or sequestration practices.
However, the aim is to reduce emissions as much as possible and only hard or impossible to remove emissions are offset.
Key interventions involve transitioning to renewable energy sources and the reduction in other human activities such as transportation, consumption, land exploitation, excess energy use.
“This article explains what net zero means, how progress towards it is measured and the differences between official measures of UK GHG emissions.”
“Net zero refers to achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. There are two different routes to achieving net zero, which work in tandem: reducing existing emissions and actively removing greenhouse gases.”
“A person, company or country is carbon neutral if they balance the carbon dioxide they release into the atmosphere through their everyday activities with the amount they absorb or remove from the atmosphere.”
