Achieving Net Zero: Why It Matters and How We Get There
Net zero emissions – you've probably heard the term, but what does it really mean and why is it so important? In simple terms, net zero means dramatically reducing our carbon emissions and using methods like natural absorption to address the remaining emissions. This creates a balance, leaving no extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The reason this is crucial is because of climate change. Scientists have made it clear that we need to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst impacts. Right now, we're already at about 1.1°C warmer than in the late 19th century, and emissions are still rising. To meet the 1.5°C goal set by the Paris Agreement, we need a 45% reduction in emissions by 2030 and complete carbon neutrality by 2050.
How do we reach net zero?
It requires a huge shift in how we live and operate, particularly in the energy sector, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This means transitioning from fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
The good news is that there's a growing global movement towards net zero. Over 140 countries, including major emitters like China, the US, India, and the EU, have committed to targets aiming for net-zero emissions. These countries represent a significant portion (about 88%) of global emissions. Furthermore, thousands of companies, cities, educational institutions, and financial institutions have joined the Race to Zero campaign, pledging to halve global emissions by 2030. However, there's a catch. Despite these commitments, current national climate plans are insufficient. If we continue on this trajectory, we're actually looking at a potential increase in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, not a decrease.
To bridge this gap between ambition and action, it's crucial for governments, especially the biggest emitters, to significantly strengthen their climate action plans and implement immediate measures to cut emissions. Robust standards and criteria for net-zero pledges are also essential for ensuring accountability and driving real progress. Reaching net zero by 2050 is a daunting challenge, but with collective and decisive action, it remains achievable.
Most emissions come from just a few countries (Source: UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2023)
The top five emitters (China, the United States of America, India, the European Union, the Russian Federation) accounted for about 60 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2021.
The Group of 20 (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union) are responsible for about 76 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
By contrast, least developed countries account for about 3.8
per cent of global emissions, while small island developing States contribute
less than 1 per cent.
Status of net-zero carbon emissions targets by UN
“Data Page: Status of net-zero carbon emissions targets”. Our World in Data (2024). Data adapted from Net Zero Tracker. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/net-zero-targets [online resource]
Climate Pledges Explorer by IEA
https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/climate-pledges-explorer
More intresting links
ICCT White Paper VISION 2050: UPDATE ON THE GLOBAL ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLE TRANSITION IN 2023
AI Chat for Chat Net Zero: Link
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