Confused with Net Zero, Carbon Neutrality and Net Positive?
Terms like “Carbon Neutral”, “Net Zero”, and “Net Positive” have been around for a while now, which lacks clarity and can mislead consumers. In the last decade most of the organizations and global corporations have integrated these target disclosures mainly for marketing scope. By fostering clarity and transparency in the usage of these terms, organizations can contribute meaningfully to the broader discourse on environmental responsibility, thereby aligning their actions with the imperative of building a more sustainable and resilient future.
Carbon Neutrality:
For the building sector, achieving carbon neutrality involves balancing out the carbon emissions produced with an equal amount removed from the atmosphere. Here the goal is achieving Net Zero carbon footprint. This can be done by supporting projects that reduce greenhouse gases. Without even reducing own emissions a building can achieve carbon neutrality by measuring its emissions and compensating for the excess by funding carbon-reduction projects in any other regions.
Net Zero:
In the building sector, reaching Net Zero carbon implies doing two key things: First, cutting down on how much carbon we produce by using efficient technologies and balancing out any remaining emissions by supporting projects that remove carbon elsewhere. Net Zero goes` ahead of carbon neutrality, where the main goal is to reduce the emissions in the first place by sustainable practices. To achieve net-zero, most of the emissions must be reduced through electrification, efficiency, and other strategies. It requires short- term and long-term strategies that results in Net Zero Emissions.
Net Positive:
Net positive takes the concept even a step further by actively removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than is emitted. Net positive refers to activities that goes beyond Net Zero which helps in creating a positive environment.