Setting climate targets: when is net zero really net zero?
‘Net zero’ and ‘carbon neutral’ have quickly become the go-to phrases for ambitious declarations on climate change action. But what do ‘net zero’, ‘zero carbon’ or ‘carbon neutral’ actually mean in practice? As climate action targets are increasingly announced both locally and nationally, it’s even more important that the assumptions involved are properly understood to deliver on the aspirations set out in the Paris Agreement. So what does ‘net zero’ actually mean? Which gases are included (or not)? How are boundaries set? And what are the different time scales? Here, researchers at The University of Manchester and Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research set out a consistent and operational approach for policymakers to help avoid falling into the ‘net zero’ carbon jargon trap.
Defining terms such as net zero and carbon neutrality is not straightforward. Carbon neutral, climate neutral, net zero, zero emissions and decarbonisation have all been used interchangeably.
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