Net Zero Emissions to Stimulate Green Economy
3 min read
- What is net zero emissions?
- China to reach carbon neutrality by 2060
- The advantages of committing to net zero emissions
Most human activities, from driving a car to eating a strawberry, have an environmental impact. More specifically, they have a carbon price attached. The release of CO2 into the atmosphere causes a rise in greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn increases global warming and climate change. In order to combat climate change, countries are starting to adopt solutions to reach net zero emissions.
Net Zero Emissions
Net zero emissions is a balance between the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere with the amount that is removed. For each pound of carbon emitted, an equivalent pound is removed through either natural or manmade processes such as carbon sinks. Net zero ultimately means that climate change will neither increase nor decrease as a result of a human activity, such as flying on a jet plane, because there is an equal and opposite response that subtracts that CO2 equivalent from the atmosphere.
China: Net Zero 2060
In September of 2020 China announced a countrywide goal to have reached net zero emissions by 2060. This is a huge undertaking for the economic giant, who accounts for just under 30 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning to a green economy, China is leading the pack in investment, manufacturing and consumption of renewable energy. Their race to net zero has been paired with a desire to expand their green infrastructure and become globally competitive in sectors such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels.
Committing to Carbon Neutrality
China is not the first country to commit to these ambitious goals, however. The European Union has already started work toward carbon neutrality, and countries across the world are looking to prime their economies for a future that includes green technologies and strong renewable energy.
At Physis, investment in technologies and companies that work toward reducing CO2 emissions is part of what we do. Join us today, and learn how your investments can reduce emissions.
Sources:
What does “net zero emissions” mean?
What China’s plan for net-zero emissions by 2060 means for the climate