Is carbon neutral the same as net zero?
These two terms are often used interchangeably, but there are essential differences.
While climate change action is increasingly in people’s thoughts and conversations, there’s still a lot of confusion about what different phrases really mean. Here’s our essential guide to understanding the simple but significant differences between carbon neutral and net zero.
What is net zero?
According to the United Nations, net zero means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests for instance1.
Put simply, net zero is achieved by balancing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere with the amount removed. (Real zero would mean entirely stopping all emissions caused by human activities, which isn’t realistically attainable.)
What are greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gases are responsible for triggering climate change. The most common greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour. These gases act like a giant greenhouse (hence their name), encasing the Earth and trapping energy from the sun which leads to rising temperatures.
To reach net zero, it’s necessary to:
- REDUCE the emissions sent into the atmosphere, from activities such as industrial processes, power generation, transport and waste management.
- REMOVE greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, for example, by planting more trees and mangroves, which absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
Net zero is so important because science shows that in order to avert the worst impacts of climate change and preserve a livable planet, global temperature increase needs to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Currently, the Earth is already about 1.1°C warmer than it was in the late 1800s, and emissions continue to rise. To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C – as called for in the 2015 Paris Agreement – emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 20501.
What is carbon neutral?
Carbon neutral means that any carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere is balanced by an equivalent amount being reduced. Carbon neutral accounts for CO2 emissions, but not other greenhouse gases.
In a carbon neutral organisation, there is a commitment to evaluate the CO2 emissions produced and reduce these – the so-called carbon footprint. This is coupled with investing in projects that remove the equivalent amount of CO2. This balancing practice is known as carbon offsetting and could involve, for example, investing in reforestations projects or renewable energy projects, which use solar or wind power instead of fossil fuels.
What’s so bad about carbon dioxide?
CO2 is released through natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions, plant respiration and animals and humans breathing.
CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere works to trap heat from the Sun. Without CO2, our oceans would be frozen, and Earth would not be our beautiful blue planet.
But the atmospheric CO2 concentration has increased by 47%2 since the Industrial Revolution began in the 1800s, thanks to human activities like the burning of fossil fuels and large-scale deforestation. Due to its abundance, CO2 is now the main contributor to climate change.
What’s the essential difference between net zero and carbon neutral?
Net zero is the ultimate goal of all climate change action: reducing absolute emissions as close to zero as possible, and any remaining emissions taken out of the atmosphere.
Carbon neutral doesn’t focus on reducing but in balancing any carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere by an equivalent amount being removed.
Having a net zero strategy is essential to limit global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. A carbon neutral strategy won’t get us there.
Read more about Bupa’s science-based net zero commitments on our environment and climate action webpage.
