Carbon neutrality and net zero emissions are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but there are some important differences between them. Carbon neutral organizations evaluate and reduce CO2 emissions and compensate for them by reducing emissions elsewhere or removing CO2 from the atmosphere through carbon offsetting. Net Zero means a company reduces absolute emissions across its whole supply chain to limit global temperature increases. The Science Based Targets initiative has set out the world’s first Net Zero standard. Both terms are essential parts of emissions mitigation work to combat climate change.
Carbon neutrality
Carbon neutrality refers to a state where an entity or organization has balanced its carbon emissions with an equivalent amount of carbon removal or reduction. This can be achieved by reducing emissions through various measures such as using renewable energy sources or improving energy efficiency, and also by removing carbon from the atmosphere through methods such as afforestation or carbon capture and storage (CCS). Carbon neutrality can be achieved through offsetting, which involves investing in projects that reduce emissions or remove carbon, such as planting trees or investing in renewable energy projects, to offset the emissions that cannot be reduced.
Net zero
On the other hand, Net zero emissions refers to a state where an entity or organization has completely eliminated its greenhouse gas emissions, usually by reducing them as much as possible and then offsetting any remaining emissions that cannot be eliminated. Net zero carbon emissions is a more ambitious goal than carbon neutrality as it requires complete elimination of emissions rather than just balancing them out with carbon removal or reduction.
The Science Based Targets initiative has set the world’s first Net Zero standard, providing companies with a framework and tools to implement the target effectively.
In essence, carbon neutrality focuses on balancing out emissions with carbon removal or reduction, while net zero emissions is more focused on eliminating emissions altogether. Both are important goals in the fight against climate change, but net zero emissions is generally seen as the more ambitious and desirable goal.