What is net zero?

Building a net zero future is crucial for our planet. So what is net zero, and why is it important?

As we burn fuels to do things like power our homes, produce goods and operate transport, greenhouse gases are pushed out into the earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists and governments agree that the higher levels of greenhouse gases we are producing are triggering climate change.

Therefore, to tackle the climate crisis we need to balance the amount of greenhouse gases we put into the atmosphere with the amount we remove. This is what we call ‘net zero’.

Many countries have now adopted a target of net-zero emissions by 2050, but there are still many uncertainties on how.

Getting there will require enormous effort from governments, business and societies across the world. The 2021 COP26 climate summit is a moment where, across the globe, we can come together for climate action.