With global warming plaguing the earth, the time has come for change as we try to slow down and reverse the effects that humans have caused over the years. This is a global mission and requires individuals to do their bit as well as governments and large corporations. The main way this is being done is by aiming for carbon neutrality in every country as discussed at UN climate change conferences.
However, with so many pledges being made such as the UK government’s aim to become net zero by 2050, it begs the question of how the world is doing in this battle against climate change. Have things gotten better? What specific policies are in place? And what can we as individuals do to help our governments reach these goals?
To find out all of these questions and more, be sure to read this guide further as we’ll discuss it all, so you have the necessary knowledge about the ongoing battle against climate change.
What is Net Zero?
Before delving into how the progress towards net zero is going, it’s important that you understand what it is and where it came from, so you can appreciate the ongoing effort. Net zero is essentially an initiative in which carbon emissions are completely negated. It is achieved by reducing emissions and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The goal of net zero came from the Paris agreement at COP21 which is where goals were set out for all countries involved. Since then, world leaders frequently meet to discuss progress towards the 2050 target.
Why the 2050 target?
With 2050 seemingly very far away, people may be wondering why this is the year decided upon. Well, it’s because it gives countries enough time to get policies in place and hit the goal. This ensures no country should fail to hit the target.
Where are we now?
With us now several years on from the initial net zero agreement, here’s where the world is at in terms of progress towards achieving it:
Why is the energy efficiency industry benefitting off the back of this?
Net zero is good news for the energy efficiency industry as there’ll be plenty of work for solar panel & air source heat pump installers. This is because a vast amount of the required targets rely on decarbonising homes and improving heat sources in all buildings too.
