Carbon neutrality refers to achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by offsetting carbon dioxide emissions (usually through carbon offsetting) or simply eliminating carbon dioxide emissions altogether (transition to the “post-carbon economy”). It is used in the context of carbon dioxide releasing processes associated with transport, power generation, agriculture, and industrial processes. Carbon neutral status can be achieved in two ways.
To offset carbon dioxide emissions, usually through carbon offsetting, to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions, or to prevent CO2 release into the atmosphere to compensate emissions elsewhere. Emissions are ‘neutral’ if the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted equals the total amount avoided or removed.
To reduce carbon emissions to zero by changing energy resources and industry processes. The transition to renewable energy and nuclear energy reduces GHG emissions. Although both renewable and non-renewable energy somehow generate carbon emissions, renewable energy has fewer or almost zero carbon emissions. It produces much less carbon emissions than fossil fuels. Making changes to existing industrial and agricultural processes to reduce carbon emissions, for example, dietary changes in livestock could potentially reduce methane production by 40%. Carbon projects and emissions trading are often used to reduce carbon emissions and carbon. Sometimes carbon dioxide can be captured to prevent it from entering the atmosphere entirely.
One way to apply carbon-neutral products is to make them cheaper than carbon positive fuels. Various companies have pledged to be carbon neutral or negative by 2050, including Microsoft, Google, Delta, BP, Ikea, and BlackRock. More affordable renewable energy sources need to be created to help these companies become carbon neutral by 2050. Otherwise, companies are likely to continue using coal or oil-based energy instead of renewable options like wind or nuclear power.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
One of the strongest arguments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is that it will often save money. Energy prices are rising around the world, making it difficult to travel, heat and light homes and factories, and maintain the functioning of a modern economy. Therefore, it is both common sense and reasonable for the climate to use energy as sparingly as possible. Examples of possible actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are:
Using walking, cycling or public transport, avoiding flying, low-energy vehicles in transport, and limiting energy use from buildings, equipment, animals and processes.
Wind energy, nuclear energy, hydroelectric, solar energy and geothermal are the energy sources with the lowest emissions with their distribution and operations.
The use of carbon offsets aims to neutralize a given volume of GHG emissions by financing projects that will result in an equivalent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere, such as tree planting. Under the proposition “First reduce what you can do, then balance out the rest”, balancing can be done by supporting a responsible carbon project.
Evaluation and repetition
All efforts to reduce emissions need to be evaluated. This phase should include evaluating the results and compiling a list of improvements made, documenting and reporting the results. Thus, the experience gained regarding which work worked or not is shared with those who can use it well. Finally, with everything completed, the cycle starts over, but this time it combines the lessons learned.
Science and technology are advancing, regulations are getting tighter, and the standards people demand are rising. Therefore, all the work done will go further than the previous one and the process will continue. Each study will develop based on the previous one.
Being carbon neutral or achieving zero carbon is increasingly seen as a corporate and social responsibility. The list of companies and states that promise to be carbon neutral is growing steadily.
Being carbon neutral is just one step towards preventing climate change. We must be aware of climate change socially and individually. We must act consciously in many issues such as the energy we spend individually and the recycling of the products we consume. Socially, our industries play a big role. But the awareness of individual consumers that will balance our industries is too important to underestimate.
