Net zero
A state in which anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are balanced by anthropogenic removals over a specified period, so net additions to the atmosphere are zero.
Net zero is the end point implied by the physics of warming: global temperature stabilises only when net CO2 emissions reach zero, because CO2 accumulates. IPCC SR1.5 (2018) found that limiting warming to 1.5°C with little or no overshoot requires global net-zero CO2 around 2050 and net-zero greenhouse gases around 2070; for well below 2°C, net-zero CO2 around 2070.
Credible net-zero targets, per the UN High-Level Expert Group (2022) and the ISO net-zero guidelines, require deep cuts first, typically 90–95% of gross emissions, with residual emissions neutralised by durable removals such as direct air capture with storage, BECCS, or long-lived biochar, not by avoidance offsets. They should cover all scopes, including Scope 3, and set interim targets for 2030 and 2035.
More than 140 countries have announced net-zero targets covering roughly 90% of world GDP (Net Zero Tracker). Dates include the EU and UK 2050 (legally binding), China 2060 and India 2070. The IEA Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario requires electricity to be almost fully decarbonised in advanced economies by 2035.
Related terms
All terms →- Carbon neutral
A claim that the CO2 emissions attributed to an entity, product or event have been reduced and the remainder compensated, usually by purchasing carbon credits.
- Carbon budget
The cumulative amount of CO2 that can still be emitted while keeping global warming below a given limit with a stated probability.
- Carbon offset
A tradable credit representing one tonne of CO2e reduced, avoided or removed by a project outside the buyer’s own operations, used to compensate for the buyer’s emissions.
- Direct air capture (DAC)
Engineered systems that extract CO2 directly from ambient air using chemical sorbents or solvents, producing a concentrated stream for storage or use.
- NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution)
A country’s climate action plan under the Paris Agreement, setting emissions targets and measures, updated every five years with progressively higher ambition.