We will probably also need intelligent grid systems and ways to store electricity, such as giant battery plants. Read more: Is the IEA underestimating renewables? But then things get more complicated, because power that comes and goes with the weather needs to be backed up with something more constant like biofuels - or nuclear, which the EU strategy expects to generate 15% of our power at net-zero. So far, experts say we've done the easy bit: Renewable electricity generated has plummeted in price and is already overtaking fossil fuels in some countries. Which sectors can and can't we "decarbonize?" Read more: EU Commission president candidates clash on climate change, migration For the rest, every ton of CO2 we do emit must be matched by a ton that we remove from the atmosphere. Net-zero means a radical change across the entire economy, doing away with fossil fuels and other sources of emissions wherever possible. Read more: EU elections: Wake-up call for centrists amid euroskepticism, climate inaction Last November, the European Commission published a "strategic vision" to get there, which it's hoped the European Union will adopt at a summit in Brussels on June 20. To meet this goal, the IPCC said we must cut emissions to net-zero by 2050. Read more: IPCC 1.5 C degree report points to high stakes of climate inaction And last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of much worse to come if we exceed 1.5 degrees of warming. In the intervening years, storms, floods, drought and forest fires have made climate change a terrifying reality for increasing numbers of people. Because it was clear, however, that these measures would not be nearly enough to meet the Paris goals, the agreement stipulated that states would submit commitments to more radical cuts five years later. The strategy Microsoft outlines is detailed, but the first stage of the plan includes investing in renewable energy and electric vehicles, as well as building certifications to make its offices more sustainable.With the Paris Agreement in 2015, nearly 200 nations submitted plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The company pledged in the same post to "remove from the environment all the carbon the company has emitted either directly or by electrical consumption since it was founded in 1975" after it becomes carbon negative. 16 blog post to become carbon negative by 2030. Microsoft says it's been carbon neutral since 2012, but announced plans in a Jan. Where carbon neutral is an equal balance between the carbon dioxide you emit into the atmosphere and how much you remove from it, carbon negative means you remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than you emit. The term carbon negative takes the concept of carbon neutrality a step further. Net-zero is often used interchangeably with carbon neutral, but it refers to all greenhouse gas emissions instead of carbon dioxide alone. You may have also heard the term "net-zero" related to emissions. Again, check out my carbon neutral explainer for more details about offsets. Offsets fund projects that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, such as planting trees or restoring wetlands. If those options aren't available to you, you can invest in carbon offsets. You can reduce your emissions directly by walking or biking instead of driving - or by investing in renewable energies. Any person or entity can be carbon neutral - entire governments, companies or individuals.ĭaily activities like driving and heating your home release carbon dioxide. I go into more detail on carbon neutrality in this explainer, but here's the gist: You're carbon neutral if the amount of carbon dioxide you emit into the atmosphere is the same as the amount of carbon dioxide you remove from the atmosphere. Some other greenhouse gasses include methane, hydrofluorocarbons and nitrous oxide. Because carbon dioxide is responsible for roughly 75% of all human-generated greenhouse gas emissions, the terms refer specifically to carbon rather than all greenhouse gasses. These emissions contribute to temperature increases, rising sea levels and changing weather patterns. Burning fossil fuels, like coal, natural gas and oil, emits carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere.
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