What is net zero? What does Net Zero mean?

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The phrase ‘net zero’ gets bandied around a lot these days – you’ll often hear it on the lips of politicians left, right and centre.

But what does net zero actually mean? And what is the UK’s net zero target?

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What is Net Zero?

Net zero means that overall the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere is the same as the amount that’s taken out.

Greenhouse gases are gases which cause the greenhouse effect – trapping sunlight and causing the atmosphere to heat. The most well-known greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2). Others include methane and nitrous oxide. The greenhouse effect keeps the Earth warm enough for life. Greenhouse gases occur naturally, but they are also emitted when humans burn fossil fuels like oil and gas. Burning fossil fuels has caused greenhouse gas levels to get too high. This is causing the atmosphere to heat up dangerously fast, leading to climate change. We can see this in extreme weather like heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, floods and storms. Check out our explainer on climate change to learn more.

Net zero could be achieved by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to zero. Or it could be achieved through measures to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Or it could be achieved through a mixture of the two.

In simple terms, under net zero, there is a perfect balance between GHG emissions entering the atmosphere and those removed.

How can emissions be removed from the atmosphere?

As we explained above, the idea of net zero tends to assume greenhouse gases will continue to be emitted. This means the same amount of greenhouse gases need to be removed from the atmosphere.

There a few ways this can be done:

Direct capture – where emissions are captured where they are emitted (‘at source’), for example, on the chimney of a power plant.

Carbon capture and storage – carbon dioxide is basically sucked out of the atmosphere, and turned into a hard material which can be stored underground (or used).

Offsetting – where carbon is removed by someone else. For example, trees absorb carbon dioxide, so you could pay someone to plant trees to absorb the carbon dioxide you emit.

Direct capture and carbon capture and storage are new technologies. They can’t yet be used on a large scale – and it may never be possible to use them to absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide. Some critics of carbon capture say it is being promoted by the fossil fuel industry so they can carry on selling oil and gas, even though we don’t know if they work.

Offsetting through tree planting also comes with challenges. For example, many offsetting projects involve forcing local people in developing countries to leave their land so trees can be planted to absorb emissions produced mostly in the West.

What is the Absolute Zero?

There is another concept called absolute zero. This means that no greenhouse gases are emitted at all – meaning there are no emissions.

It is also known as gross zero or real zero.

What is the UK’s Net Zero target?

In 2019, MPs in the UK’s House of Commons voted to make 2050 the deadline for the UK to reach net zero emissions. The UK government is required by law to achieve net zero by this date.

What is the UK’s strategy for reaching Net Zero?

The UK’s net zero strategy is based on:

Decarbonising energy by 2030, through the government’s Clean Power 2030 strategy
Shifting to zero emissions vehicles – all new cars and vans must be zero emissions by 2035

The government has also invested £21.7 billion over 25 years in five carbon capture and storage projects.

Will the UK’s Net Zero plan work?

It’s too early to say whether the UK will achieve net zero by 2050. New policies and strategies will be needed get to net zero by 2050.

However, we do know that net zero is only part of the story. Scientists have calculated a carbon budget which is needed to keep temperature rises within safe limits – 1.5C of warming above pre-industrial levels. Based on the government’s current policies, the UK is due to exceed its share of the carbon budget in the early 2030s.

So the UK needs to go beyond its net zero target if we are to do our bit in keeping temperature rises to a safe level. You can learn more in our analysis of the Labour government’s manifesto.

What can I do?

There are lots of things you can do – from switching to a plant-based diet to giving up flying. There are many good reasons to take individual steps to reduce our emissions. However, what we do as individuals is a drop in the ocean. What we really need is government action.

At VoteClimate, we want to show the Labour government that it can win votes in future elections by adopting better climate policies. You can pledge to put climate first at the next election – if enough people make this pledge, we can show Labour that voters want climate action. And when you sign up, we’ll tell you when and how to cast the strongest tactical vote for climate in national and local elections.