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Net Zero Carbon

Net zero refers to balancing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted with the amount removed from the atmosphere. Achieving net zero is important for tackling climate change by limiting global warming to manageable levels. It means achieving balance between greenhouse gas emissions added to the atmosphere and those taken out through means like carbon capture technologies or natural solutions like tree planting.

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4 views3 pages

Net Zero Carbon

Net zero refers to balancing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted with the amount removed from the atmosphere. Achieving net zero is important for tackling climate change by limiting global warming to manageable levels. It means achieving balance between greenhouse gas emissions added to the atmosphere and those taken out through means like carbon capture technologies or natural solutions like tree planting.

Uploaded by

metin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is net zero?

We’ve all heard the term net zero, but what exactly does it mean?
Put simply, net zero refers to the balance between the amount of
greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the
atmosphere. We reach net zero when the amount we add is no more
than the amount taken away. But how can we achieve this and why
does it matter?
From countries and companies to individuals, tackling climate change is at the top of
the agenda; and one way we can help to do this is to reach net zero. Indeed, the UK was
the world’s first major economy to set a legally binding target of being net zero by
2050.

What does it mean to be net zero?


Net zero means achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases put into the
atmosphere and those taken out.

Think about it like a bath – turn on the taps and you add more water, pull out the plug
and water flows out. The amount of water in the bath depends on both the input from
the taps and the output via the plughole. To keep the amount of water in the bath at the
same level, you need to make sure that the input and output are balanced.

Reaching net zero applies the same principle, requiring us to balance the amount of
greenhouse gases we emit with the amount we remove. When what we add is no more
than what we take away, we reach net zero.
Watch the video

Why is net zero important?


Net zero is important as it’s the best way we can tackle climate change by reducing
global warming. What we do in the next decade to limit emissions will be critical to the
future, which is why every country, sector, industry and each one of us must work
together to find ways to cut the carbon we produce.

Read more about why reaching net zero is so important

Is net zero the same as carbon neutral?


'Net zero' and 'carbon neutral' are often referred to interchangeably, but although
achieving net zero and carbon neutrality have the same end result – removing harmful
emissions from the earth’s atmosphere – the scale and kind of emissions removed are
different.

Find out more about the difference between carbon neutral and net zero

What is climate change?


Evidence shows that our planet has been getting hotter. The warmest 20 years on record
have been in the last 22 years according to the World Meteorological
Organisation and the warmest four were all very recent: 2015 to 2018. Global average
temperatures are now 1.2°C (2.16°F) higher than in the pre-industrial era.

A degree doesn’t sound like a lot, but the reality is that this incremental warming
already appears to be having a negative impact. What’s more, if recent trends continue,
this is set to worsen, with predictions of global temperatures increasing by as much as
2.7°C (4.86°F) by 2100.

Even with this tiny rise in global temperatures we are feeling the effects of climate
change with erratic weather patterns including heatwaves, floods and severe
storms, loss of polar ice, and rising sea levels. This will only get worse if global
warming intensifies.

What is causing climate change?


It’s widely recognised by scientists and governments that climate change is being
triggered by higher levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Their name derives
from the greenhouse effect they create by warming the Earth’s surface and the air above
it. This is caused by gases that trap energy from the sun. The most common greenhouse
gases are water vapour, carbon dioxide (CO 2) and methane.

CO2 is the most dangerous and abundant of the greenhouse gases, which is why cutting
carbon emissions, carbon footprints or seeking low-carbon alternatives are suggested as
ways to address climate change.

How can we stop climate change?


The excess of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is triggering harmful global
warming, so reducing the amount of these gases should help to tackle climate change.
This can be done in two ways:

 lower the emissions we are sending into the atmosphere, from activities such as
industrial processes, power generation, transport and intensive agriculture
 remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, for example
by capturing carbon created during industrial processes before it’s released or
planting more trees.

What’s the difference between real zero


and net zero?
Given the impact that carbon emissions have on our planet, you might wonder why we
aren’t aiming for zero, or real zero, rather than net zero. Real zero would mean stopping
all emissions, which isn’t realistically attainable across all sectors of our lives and
industry. Even with best efforts to reduce them, there will still be some emissions.

Net zero looks at emissions overall, allowing for the removal of any unavoidable
emissions, such as those from aviation or manufacturing. Removing greenhouse gases
could be via nature, as trees take CO 2 from the atmosphere, or through new
technology or changing industrial processes.

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