What Carbon Neutral Really Means
When it comes to the fight against climate change, carbon neutral has recently become a popular buzzword. We hear the term across different forms of media, but what does the implementation of carbon neutrality really mean?
Carbon Dioxide Emissions And The Climate Crisis
According to NASA, humans have increased the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide level by 50% in less than 200 years. This means that our carbon emissions have been 150% higher since the year 1750. This is the greatest level of carbon than at the end of the latest natural ice age, which was when carbon was last at its highest historical content.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas formed by natural causes, such as volcanic eruptions or wildfires, or by man-made causes, such as the burning of fossil fuels. The presence of CO2 in the atmosphere contributes to climate change at high concentrations. As reported by a 2021 review by the NOAA Global Monitoring Lab, carbon dioxide was single-handedly responsible for an estimated two-thirds of the total heating influence of all human-produced greenhouse gasses.
What Is Carbon Neutral?
To understand the term carbon neutral, you have to be familiar with the term carbon footprint. Every person on the planet is contributing to CO2 levels in unique ways. The amount of CO2 that a single individual is responsible for emitting is called their carbon footprint.
A country, city, household, or business can become carbon neutral by offsetting its carbon emissions or by not generating CO2 emissions in the first place. This could look like a company financing someone else to reduce their carbon footprint or remove carbon from the atmosphere on the behalf of their business.
What It Takes To Be Considered Carbon Neutral
On a smaller scale, for a business, the first step in becoming carbon neutral is measuring the carbon output the business is responsible for. This total number will include everything from the plane travel of business executives to emissions from a product’s supply chain. This measurement can be done with consultations and by companies able to calculate an accurate measurement.
After analyzing trends and identifying CO2 hotspots, it is critical for a business to reduce their emissions before aiming to offset them. This can be achieved by limiting travel and converting to renewable energy. Once CO2 emissions have been considered and reduced by a company, they can purchase carbon offsets to cover the CO2 emissions that can’t be so easily reduced.
These emission-reducing efforts can take shape in a multitude of forms, such as programs designed to reduce deforestation or the covering of landfills to reduce methane emissions. These programs are designed to match the CO2 emission levels of a company by removing that amount of CO2 from the atmosphere.
Why Reaching Net Zero Carbon Matters For The Planet
The UK’s government is on a mission to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Net zero carbon is a similar term to carbon neutral, and you may have even heard the two used interchangeably, but the two vary in meaning.
While reaching both carbon neutral and net zero carbon levels are beneficial to the planet in their own ways, net zero carbon emissions may have the more substantial advantage in reducing climate change. While carbon neutral refers to the offsetting of CO2 emissions, net zero carbon is the act of lowering carbon emissions as much as possible and then permanently reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. This can be done by using carbon sinks. Natural carbon “sinks” are the practices that remove carbon from the atmosphere, such as planting trees.
It is critical to strive for net zero carbon emissions because CO2 emissions caused by humans are the largest factor in the climate crisis. Scientists have estimated that our planet will suffer from irreversible damage if CO2 emissions reach 450 parts per million (ppm). Right now, NASA estimates that our global CO2 emissions are at 419 ppm. This is a dangerously close level to the point of no return, and we don’t have enough time to reverse the damage if companies aren’t striving to reach net zero carbon.
When it comes to the fight against climate change, carbon neutral has recently become a popular buzzword. We hear the term across different forms of media, but what does the implementation of carbon neutrality really mean?
Carbon Dioxide Emissions and The Climate Crisis
According to NASA, humans have increased the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide level by 50% in less than 200 years. This means that our carbon emissions have been 150% higher since the year 1750. This is the greatest level of carbon than at the end of the latest natural ice age, which was when carbon was last at its highest historical content.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas formed by natural causes, such as volcanic eruptions or wildfires, or by man-made causes, such as the burning of fossil fuels. The presence of CO2 in the atmosphere contributes to climate change at high concentrations. As reported by a 2021 review by the NOAA Global Monitoring Lab, carbon dioxide was single-handedly responsible for an estimated two-thirds of the total heating influence of all human-produced greenhouse gasses.
What Is Carbon Neutral?
To understand the term carbon neutral, you have to be familiar with the term carbon footprint. Every person on the planet is contributing to CO2 levels in unique ways. The amount of CO2 that a single individual is responsible for emitting is called their carbon footprint.
A country, city, household, or business can become carbon neutral by offsetting its carbon emissions or by not generating CO2 emissions in the first place. This could look like a company financing someone else to reduce their carbon footprint or remove carbon from the atmosphere on the behalf of their business.
What It Takes To Be Considered Carbon Neutral
On a smaller scale, for a business, the first step in becoming carbon neutral is measuring the carbon output the business is responsible for. This total number will include everything from the plane travel of business executives to emissions from a product’s supply chain. This measurement can be done with consultations and by companies able to calculate an accurate measurement.
After analyzing trends and identifying CO2 hotspots, it is critical for a business to reduce their emissions before aiming to offset them. This can be achieved by limiting travel and converting to renewable energy. Once CO2 emissions have been considered and reduced by a company, they can purchase carbon offsets to cover the CO2 emissions that can’t be so easily reduced.
These emission-reducing efforts can take shape in a multitude of forms, such as programs designed to reduce deforestation or the covering of landfills to reduce methane emissions. These programs are designed to match the CO2 emission levels of a company by removing that amount of CO2 from the atmosphere.
Why Reaching Net Zero Carbon Matters for the Planet
The UK’s government is on a mission to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Net zero carbon is a similar term to carbon neutral, and you may have even heard the two used interchangeably, but the two vary in meaning.
While reaching both carbon neutral and net zero carbon levels are beneficial to the planet in their own ways, net zero carbon emissions may have the more substantial advantage in reducing climate change. While carbon neutral refers to the offsetting of CO2 emissions, net zero carbon is the act of lowering carbon emissions as much as possible and then permanently reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. This can be done by using carbon sinks. Natural carbon “sinks” are the practices that remove carbon from the atmosphere, such as planting trees.
It is critical to strive for net zero carbon emissions because CO2 emissions caused by humans are the largest factor in the climate crisis. Scientists have estimated that our planet will suffer from irreversible damage if CO2 emissions reach 450 parts per million (ppm). Right now, NASA estimates that our global CO2 emissions are at 419 ppm. This is a dangerously close level to the point of no return, and we don’t have enough time to reverse the damage if companies aren’t striving to reach net zero carbon.
Key Takeaways
- Carbon neutral refers to the reduction of CO2 emissions through purchasing carbon offsets.
- Carbon offsets work by calculating the level of CO2 a company is responsible for and then reducing that level of CO2 in the atmosphere on behalf of the company.
- Carbon levels are up 50% in less than 200 years.
- Net zero carbon refers to the permanent reduction of CO2 emissions through using natural carbon sinks.
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