net zero emissions что это
zero net emissions
полное отсутствие выбросов
нулевые выбросы
—
[А.С.Гольдберг. Англо-русский энергетический словарь. 2006 г.]
Тематики
Синонимы
Смотреть что такое «zero net emissions» в других словарях:
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Karl Zero — Karl Zéro Pour les articles homonymes, voir Zéro (homonymie). Karl Zéro au Festival de Cannes en 2007 Karl Z … Wikipédia en Français
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carbon neutrality — /kabən njuˈtræləti/ (say kahbuhn nyooh traluhtee) noun a state in which an organisation or country balances its carbon emission against its carbon reductions to achieve zero net emissions of carbon dioxide … Australian-English dictionary
полное отсутствие выбросов — нулевые выбросы — [А.С.Гольдберг. Англо русский энергетический словарь. 2006 г.] Тематики энергетика в целом Синонимы нулевые выбросы EN zero net emissions … Справочник технического переводчика
Carbon neutrality — Carbon neutral redirects here. For other uses, see Carbon neutral (disambiguation). Part of a series on Green economics … Wikipedia
What Does «Net-Zero Emissions» Mean? 8 Common Questions, Answered
Editor’s Note: This article was updated in May 2021 to include WRI’s latest research and information about new national net-zero targets.
The latest research is clear: To avoid the worst climate impacts, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will need to drop by half by 2030 and reach net-zero around mid-century.
Recognizing this urgency, a rapidly growing number of national government, local government and business leaders are making commitments to reach net-zero emissions within their jurisdictions or businesses. To date, over fifty countries have communicated such “net-zero targets,” including the world’s largest emitters (China and the United States). On top of that, hundreds more regions, cities and businesses have set targets of their own.
These numbers are climbing quickly, particularly because the U.N. Secretary General asked countries to come forward with net-zero targets. The U.N. High Level Climate Champions’ Race to Zero campaign also calls on regions, cities, businesses, investors and civil society to submit plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 in advance of the United Nations climate negotiations (COP 26) in Glasgow in November 2021.
But what does a net-zero target mean, what’s the science behind net-zero and which countries have already made such commitments? Here are nine common questions and answers about net zero:
1. What Does It Mean to Reach Net-Zero Emissions?
Net-zero emissions will be achieved when all GHG emissions released by humans are counterbalanced by removing GHGs from the atmosphere in a process known as carbon removal.
First and foremost, human-caused emissions (such as those from fossil-fueled vehicles and factories) should be reduced as close to zero as possible. Any remaining GHGs should then be balanced with an equivalent amount of carbon removal, which can happen through things like restoring forests or using direct air capture and storage (DACS) technology. Reaching net-zero emissions is akin to achieving «climate neutrality.»
2. When Does the World Need to Reach Net-Zero Emissions?
Under the Paris Agreement, countries agreed to limit warming well below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F), ideally to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F). Global climate impacts that are already unfolding under today’s 1.1 degrees C (2 degrees F) of warming — from melting ice to devastating heat waves and more intense storms — show the urgency of minimizing temperature increase.
The latest science suggests that reaching the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals will require reaching net-zero emissions on the following timelines:
The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5˚C, from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), finds that if the world reaches net-zero emissions by 2040, the chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C is considerably higher. The sooner emissions peak, and the lower they are at that point, the more realistic achieving net zero becomes. This would also create less reliance on carbon removal in the second half of the century.
This does not suggest that all countries need to reach net-zero emissions at the same time. The chances of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C, however, depend significantly on how soon the highest emitters reach net-zero emissions. Equity-related considerations — including responsibility for past emissions, equality in per-capita emissions and capacity to act — also suggest earlier dates for wealthier, higher-emitting countries.
Importantly, the time frame for reaching net-zero emissions is different for CO2 alone versus for CO2 plus other GHGs like methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. For non-CO2 emissions, the net zero date is later because models suggest that some of these emissions — such as methane from agricultural sources — are more difficult to phase out. However, these potent but short-lived gases will drive temperatures higher in the near-term, potentially pushing temperature change past the 1.5 degrees C threshold much earlier.
Because of this, it’s important for countries to specify whether their net-zero targets cover CO2 only or all GHGs. A comprehensive net-zero emissions target would include all GHGs, ensuring that non-CO2 gases are also reduced.
3. What Needs to Happen to Achieve Net-Zero Emissions?
Policy, technology and behavior need to shift across the board. For example, in pathways to 1.5 degrees C, renewables are projected to supply 70-85% of electricity by 2050. Energy efficiency and fuel-switching measures are critical for transportation. Improving the efficiency of food production, changing dietary choices, halting deforestation, restoring degraded lands and reducing food loss and waste also have significant potential to reduce emissions.
It is critical that the structural and economic transition necessary to limit warming to 1.5 degrees C is approached in a just manner, especially for workers tied to high-carbon industries. The good news is that most of the necessary technologies are available and increasingly cost-competitive with high-carbon alternatives. Solar and wind now provide the cheapest power available for 67% of the world. Markets are waking up to these opportunities and to the risks of a high-carbon economy, and shifting accordingly.
Investments in carbon removal are also necessary. The different pathways assessed by the IPCC to achieve 1.5 degrees C all rely on carbon removal to some extent. Removing CO2 from the atmosphere will compensate for emissions from sectors in which reaching net-zero emissions is more difficult, such as aviation. Carbon removal can be achieved by several means, including through land-based approaches and technological approaches.
4. Is the World on Track to Reach Net-Zero Emissions?
Despite the benefits of climate action, progress is happening far too slowly for the world to reach net-zero by mid-century or meet emissions reductions necessary by 2030.
In some cases, emissions are actually getting worse. Despite tremendous acceleration in renewable energy, adoption will need to increase by a factor of five to reach 2030 and 2050 goals. Current rates of renovation for both residential and commercial buildings, for instance, fall between 1% and 2% per year on average, whereas they need to reach 2.5-3.5% per year by 2030. And the world needs to drastically slow deforestation and increase tree cover gain five times faster by 2030.
5. How Many Countries Have Net-Zero Targets?
Global momentum for setting net-zero targets is growing quickly, with key economies like China, the United States and the European Union articulating such commitments. Bhutan was the first country to set a net-zero target in 2015. Now over 50 countries, representing more than half of global emissions, have set a net-zero target.
Climate Watch’s Net-Zero Tracker shows how these targets were set, such as through nationally determined contributions (NDCs), long-term low GHG emissions development strategies (LTS), domestic laws,policies or high-level political pledges from heads of state or other cabinet members.
6. Why and How Should Countries Align Their 2030 Emissions-Reduction Targets with a Net-Zero Emissions Goal?
When beginning a journey to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century, countries must pursue near-term action with their long-term objectives in mind. This will help avoid locking in carbon-intensive, non-resilient infrastructure and technologies. Countries can also cut near- and long-term costs by investing in green infrastructure that will not need to be phased out later, designing consistent policies and sending strong signals to the private sector to invest in climate action.
Under the Paris Agreement, countries agreed to submit climate plans every five years, known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs. NDCs are an important tool to align near- and long-term goals. When informed by a country’s long-term vision, these documents can help governments implement the types of policies, signals, targets and other enhancement strategies necessary in the nearer term to realize an ambitious mid-century objective.
Many countries with net-zero targets are beginning to incorporate them directly into their near-term NDCs. These targets are also being expressed in many countries across other law and policy documents. The most advantageous action, ultimately, will be for countries to express their net-zero commitments in as many source documents as possible, including NDCs. This will make the target as durable and binding as possible, allowing for synergistic planning.
Sources Where Countries’ Net-Zero Targets are Communicated
7. Does the Paris Agreement Commit Countries to Achieving Net-Zero Emissions?
In short, yes. However, while the Paris Agreement establishes a global goal that implies reaching net-zero emissions, it was left unresolved when individual countries should reach that goal.
The Paris Agreement sets a long-term goal of achieving «a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century, on the basis of equity, and in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.» This concept of balancing emissions and removals is akin to reaching net-zero emissions.
The Paris Agreement also commits governments to putting forward plans to sharply reduce emissions and ramp up efforts to reach net-zero emissions. The Paris Agreement’s invitation to countries to submit long-term, low-emissions development strategies by COP 26 is one opportunity for countries to set net-zero targets and chart how they aim to make such transitions.
Ultimately, commitments to create bold short- and long-term targets that align with a net-zero emissions future send important signals to all levels of government, the private sector and the public that leaders are betting on a safe and prosperous future.
8. Are Net-Zero Targets a Form of Greenwashing?
No, but they can be if used as an excuse to not take bold climate action in the near-term.
Although net-zero targets continue to gain traction with governments and companies, skeptical voices have emerged, from academic journals to campaign groups to Greta Thunberg’s speech in Davos. Critiques of net-zero targets include:
a. The “net” aspect of net-zero targets could dampen efforts to rapidly cut emissions.
Critics are concerned that this could foster an overreliance on carbon dioxide removal, allowing decision-makers to use net-zero targets to avoid emission reductions in the near-term. Decision-makers can address this concern by setting absolute reduction targets (targets that do not rely on removals) alongside their longer-term net reduction targets.
b. Some countries’ net-zero targets rely on purchasing emissions reductions, delaying reductions within their own boundaries.
Some countries are setting net-zero targets that rely on investing in or paying for emissions reductions from other countries to use toward their own targets. There’s concern that government leaders might use this strategy to avoid reducing their own emissions in the long-term. Decision-makers can address this concern by setting deep emission reduction targets that explicitly avoid or limit using offsets to achieve their goals.
c. The time horizon for net-zero targets — typically 2050 — feels distant.
Today’s infrastructure can last for decades and have a major impact on mid-century targets. Decision-makers must take this into account by establishing near- and mid-term milestones for their path to net-zero emissions, including by setting ambitious 2030 emission reduction targets as part of their NDCs. NDCs are subject to transparency and accountability mechanisms under the Paris Agreement that can foster implementation in the near term, which is critical for a long-term net-zero goal to be credible.
In short, net-zero commitments must be robust to be effective and advance climate action. Countries must take concrete steps to set robust targets.
Девять глобальных корпораций представили инициативу Transform to Net Zero — за углеродный нейтралитет в мире
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Представлена инициатива от девяти глобальных корпораций направленная на активизацию усилий по переходу к обществу с «чистым нулевым» уровнем выбросов углерода. Новая коалиция, включающая в себя американскую Microsoft, немецкую Mercedes-Benz AG, французскую Danone и англо-голландскую Unilever, нацелена на «разработку и предоставление исследований, руководств и реализуемых дорожных карт, которые позволят всем предприятиям достичь чистых нулевых выбросов», говорится в заявлении группы.
Инициатива, известная как Transform to Net Zero, направлена на то, чтобы помочь предприятиям достичь нулевых выбросов не позднее 2050 года.
Другими членами-основателями коалиции являются датский судоходный гигант Maersk, бразильская фирма по личной гигиене Natura & Co, базирующаяся в США Starbucks и Nike, индийская технологическая фирма Wipro и некоммерческий фонд защиты окружающей среды.
«За прошедшее десятилетие многие компании взяли на себя обязательство достичь нулевых выбросов. Настало время ускорить действия, необходимые для достижения этой важной цели», — сказал Арон Крамер, президент некоммерческого консалтингового агентства BSR, которое будет выполнять функции секретариата для инициатива.
«Разрыв между тем, где мы находимся в связи с изменением климата, и тем, где мы должны быть, продолжает увеличиваться», — сказал Фред Крупп, президент Фонда защиты окружающей среды.
«Эта новая инициатива обладает огромным потенциалом для устранения этих пробелов. Особенно, если другие компании пойдут по стопам коалиции».
Яблоко становится зеленым
Тем временем Apple в отдельном релизе сообщила, что к 2030 году компания станет углеродно-нейтральной для всех своих операций, включая производство.
Калифорнийский технологический гигант, который и без того углеродно-нейтрален для своей корпоративной деятельности, заявил, что этот шаг не повлияет на качество всех продаваемых устройств.
Это включает в себя инвестиции в проекты по восстановлению саванн в Кении и мангровых экосистем в Колумбии для удаления или хранения углерода.
«Климатические действия могут стать основой новой эры инновационного потенциала, создания рабочих мест и устойчивого экономического роста».
Apple заявила, что более 70 поставщиков обязуются использовать 100% возобновляемую энергию для производства.
В рамках этих усилий компания также создаст «ускорительный» фонд для инвестирования в предприятия, принадлежащие меньшинствам, чтобы внести свой вклад в эту инициативу, в рамках своего обязательства в размере 100 миллионов долларов США по содействию расовой справедливости.
Пандемия Net Zero
В 2020 г. зафиксирован вал заявлений крупнейших нефтегазовых групп, в которых они обязались добиться «углеродной нейтральности», нулевого баланса выбросов парниковых газов (Net Zero Emissions), к середине столетия. ВР, Shell, норвежская Equinor, французская Total, итальянская Eni, испанская Repsol, ConocoPhillips из США – все мировые нефтегазовые компании вынуждены озеленяться, сокращать выбросы парниковых газов (ПГ) и формировать соответствующие стратегии. Например, BP обязуется стать обладателем 50 ГВт мощностей возобновляемой энергетики к 2030 г., а Total планирует нарастить портфель солнечных и ветровых электростанций до 35 ГВт к 2025 г. По инвестициям в ВИЭ нефтяники постепенно подтягиваются к крупнейшим глобальным электроэнергетическим компаниям.
Поветрие Net Zero в 2020 г. затронуло и государства. В декабре 2019 г. Совет Европы утвердил цель сделать ЕС климатически нейтральным к 2050 г. Великобритания, находящаяся теперь за пределами ЕС, также обязуется стать климатически нейтральной к 2050 г. Движение Европы в этом направлении было предсказуемым.
Однако в 2020 г. случилось и неожиданное: три крупнейшие экономики Азии – Китай, Япония и Южная Корея объявили, что также станут климатически нейтральными. Китай, глобальный лидер в развитии ВИЭ, обещает достичь этой вехи в 2060 г., Япония и Южная Корея – к 2050 г. Позже к ним присоединился и Казахстан: президент страны Касым-Жомарт Токаев пообещал добиться углеродной нейтральности Казахстана через 40 лет. Президент США Джо Байден также грозится превратить страну в углеродно нейтральную к 2050 г., соответствующий законопроект демократы представили еще в январе прошлого года.
Несмотря на коронакризис, в 2020 г. в мире были введены рекордные за всю историю мощности и солнечной фотоэлектрической, и ветровой энергетики – в общей сложности более 250 ГВт, что по установленной мощности сопоставимо, кстати, с энергосистемой Российской Федерации. В устойчивости дальнейшего глобального роста солнечной и ветровой энергетики, крупнейших секторов мировой электроэнергетики по объемам ежегодных инвестиций и вводимых мощностей, у экспертов сомнений нет. Эта уверенность подкрепляется постоянным улучшением экономики ВИЭ-генерации: МЭА в своем флагманском ежегодном докладе World Energy Outlook 2020 подчеркивает, что «солнце становится новым королем электроэнергетики», солнечная энергия в настоящее время «неизменно дешевле» электричества новых угольных или газовых станций в большинстве стран и «солнечные проекты предлагают самые низкие цены на электроэнергию из когда-либо виденных». И все же, несмотря на опережающий прогнозы рост солнечной и ветровой энергетики, текущие темпы озеленения мировой экономики пока недостаточны для достижения климатических целей – снижения ПГ до запланированных уровней.
Отсюда и интрига: удастся ли еще сильнее ускорить энергетический переход.
В электроэнергетике все достаточно очевидно. К середине столетия она будет в целом декарбонизирована. Для этого даже не требуются новые научные открытия, все технологии уже в наличии, а пути трансформации прописаны до мельчайших деталей. Но вот декарбонизация остальных секторов экономики находится пока на начальном этапе, поэтому существует высокая неопределенность в отношении темпов преобразований и достижения целей Парижского климатического соглашения. В то же время альтернатив в выборе основного направления энергетического развития нет. Таким образом, вопрос только в сроках.
Идущий сегодня процесс структурных и технологических изменений в энергетике был запущен искусственно, с помощью политических инструментов, что в общем-то характерно для любого большого начинания в экономике. Несколько лет назад он принял лавинообразный характер. «Течет мощный поток, и вы можете решать, в каком направлении вы хотите плыть [вместе с потоком или наперекор ему]. Но контролировать сам поток не в наших силах, это эволюция технологий. Я думаю, это безумие, если кто-то думает, что он действительно может повлиять на это», – точно заметил еще пять лет назад глава итальянского концерна Enel.
Энергетические итоги 2020 г. в очередной раз напоминают о повышенных рисках сырьевой модели российской экономики, о необходимости диверсификации. Да, об этом много говорят последние 20 лет, но, к сожалению, властям так и не удалось создать экономическую модель, в которой роль углеводородов была бы не такой гипертрофированной. Как мы видим, нефтегазовый сектор вполне может содействовать процессам диверсификации экономики, а технологии «новой энергетики» являются одним из очевидных направлений современной индустриализации.
Net zero emissions что это
After dragging its feet on climate change, the Australian Federal Government has finally commited to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, as has much of the rest of the world. Almost all advanced economies have now strengthened their 2030 targets and committed to roughly halving their emissions this decade.
The important thing to remember is that net zero targets mean little without a concrete plan to cut emissions this decade . The lion’s share of emissions cuts need to occur this decade if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change. A net zero target is also fundamentally incompatible with new coal or gas. All gas and coal expansion must stop.
The question we need to be asking is: what concrete steps will the Federal Government be taking in the 2020s to cut emissions as quickly as possible, and get us on the pathway to net zero?
What does net zero emissions mean?
‘Net zero emissions’ refers to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. Think of it like a set of scales: producing greenhouse gas emissions tips the scales, and we want to get those scales back into balance, which means no more greenhouse gas can be added to the atmosphere in any given year than is taken out.
Eventually, we will probably need to tip them the other way to repair past harm. Once we stop emitting greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, we still need to deal with all the emissions we’ve already pumped into the atmosphere over the years.
Getting to net zero means we can still produce some emissions, as long as they are offset by processes that reduce greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere. For example, these could be things like planting new forests, or drawdown technologies like direct air capture. The more emissions that are produced, the more carbon dioxide we need to remove from the atmosphere (this is called sequestration) to reach net zero.
However, to avoid a climate catastrophe, new emissions of greenhouse gas must be as low as possible. In other words, we need to get as close as possible to a real zero and only rely on offsetting when it is absolutely necessary. This means that we need to rapidly phase out fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – and transition to renewable energy.
Why is net zero emissions important?
Climate change isn’t a tap we can turn off once we stop using fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide, the main contributor to climate change, will stay in the atmosphere and keep heating the planet for years and years.
So reducing greenhouse gas emissions is hugely important, but we can’t stop there. The end goal is to balance the scales again, and restore the global climate to pre-climate change levels. To get there, we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero AND then get cracking on repairing past harm by drawing down past emissions.
What does a good net zero emissions target look like?
Based on the guide developed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), there are key measures that need to be used to determine whether a net zero target measures up:
> Reducing emissions this decade is critical if we are to avoid locking in the most catastrophic impact. Any long term net zero target must also be complemented by an interim target
Is there a credible plan?
> Any net zero target must be accompanied by a clear plan of immediate and longer term action, and must not just rely on offsetting
> The target must reduce emissions quickly enough this decade and ensure our nation is doing its fair share
Can we see progress?
> Will the target be reported on publicly at least annually?
Will it cover all emissions?
> The target must cover all greenhouse gases and cover all sectors of the economy
Based on the latest science, the Climate Council recommends Australia should cut our emissions by 75% by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2035. This gives us the best chance of avoiding catastrophic climate consequences. An important first step would be matching the commitments from our key allies, and pledging – before Glasgow – to at least halve our emissions by 2030.
How can Australia achieve net zero emissions?
We already have the technology we need to accelerate towards net zero emissions, including replacing coal- and gas-fired power stations with cheap, clean and reliable renewable energy backed by storage technologies.
Australia has unrivalled potential for renewable energy, clean industries, and clean jobs. Climate leadership from states and territories has shown us what works, and the benefits that decarbonizing our economy can bring benefits like regional jobs, cleaner cities and cheaper power. The Federal Government should be working with other tiers of government to rapidly step up this work.
To reach net zero we need to stop all gas and coal expansion. It is vital that we replace all fossil fuels use as quickly as possible, meet all of our energy needs with renewables and take concrete action to restore damaged landscapes, promote resilience of those living on the land and repair past harm to the atmosphere. Doing this will reduce new emissions of greenhouse gas to as close to zero as possible, and remove the greenhouse gases we put there in the past.
At a federal level, Australia lacks credible climate and renewable energy policy to drive us towards that future, and our emission reduction targets are inadequate to meet our Paris climate commitments. What’s more, our exported emissions (in the form of coal and gas) are about 2.5 times higher than our domestic emissions. While these are not counted on Australia’s ledger, it’s still worsening climate change.
Why is everyone talking about net zero emissions targets all of a sudden?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recent report was described as a code red for humanity. This report made it clear to the world’s governments the vital importance of getting to net zero as fast as possible and setting strong interim targets. This has seen many more governments — local, state and national — around the world set their own net zero goals.
Many of Australia’s key trading partners and strategic allies, have now set net zero emissions targets. The US, EU, UK, and Japan have all committed to net zero emissions by 2050, and China has committed to net zero by 2060. And now, after dragging its feet for decades, Australia has announced a net zero emissions target of 2050.
Sadly, impacts will still worsen after we reach net zero due to the inertia in the climate system. Net zero describes the point in time when humans stop worsening climate change.
When does Australia need to reach net zero emissions?
Every new tonne of greenhouse gas is heating the planet further. The sooner the world stops adding greenhouse gas to the atmosphere, the better.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in order to honour the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to well below 2 degrees (and pursue efforts to limit that increase to only 1.5 degrees!), global carbon emissions should reach net zero by 2050 at the latest. Over 100 countries have already pledged to do this.
However on its own, reaching net zero in 2050 is nowhere near enough. To help limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees, the whole world would need to reduce emissions by 7% per year every single year between 2020 and 2030. Even limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees would require annual global reductions of greenhouse gas emissions of 2.6% percent per year.
Australia, given our very high emissions, our wealth, and our unrivaled potential for renewable energy, should go above and beyond this. The Climate Council recommends Australia reduce its emissions by 75% by 2030, and reach zero emissions by 2035, to play its part in avoiding catastrophic climate consequences.
Unfortunately, Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world. We are nowhere near on track to meet our weak 2030 target, which is insufficient to meet the internationally agreed temperature goals. On top of this, Australia lacks a credible climate policy. Australia is a big emitter, but we have some of the best renewable resources in the world. Net zero by 2050 is a starting point, but we should be aiming to hit net zero as soon as possible.
Fortunately, despite Federal Government inaction, every single Australian state and territory has a formal target to reach net zero by 2050. Now, we need to step things up.
Have any other countries/states reached net zero emissions already?
At time of writing, thirteen countries have a net-zero target in place by law, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, France and Canada. Two – Suriname and Bhutan – have already achieved net zero emissions..
Closer to home, we have an entire state that has been net zero in certain years. In 2014 and 2018, Tasmania’s emissions dropped below net zero. Two things allowed this to happen: Tasmania’s massive hydroelectric dams, and Tasmania’s large carbon-dense forests. With the state’s electricity supply already nearing 100% renewable, the remaining emissions from the state – across transport, manufacturing, agriculture and forestry – were offset by the greenhouse gases sucked out of the atmosphere by the state’s forests. Tasmania has work to do to make this permanent, and could easily move beyond net zero to provide an overall benefit to the world by doing more to reduce its fossil fuel consumption, but it starts from an excellent position.
Is having a net zero emissions target an effective way of tackling climate change?
A target is only as good as the policies underpinning it. Australia’s states and territories all have net zero targets, but most governments have not outlined how these targets will be met. Several governments with a net zero goal, such as Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland, are still increasing their emissions each year. Even governments that are leading the pack when it comes to climate action – like South Australia and the ACT – still have more work to do to outline how they will meet their net zero goals. On top of this, no matter what domestic emissions are, it is not possible for a government to be taking climate change seriously while continuing to support fossil fuels – especially if that government is increasing fossil fuel exports.