What Is Net Zero Emissions? What Does It Mean, and How Is It Different from the Paris Agreement?

Net zero. We've all heard it, but what is it? It's where you take all sources of emissions, like burning fossil fuels, and counteract them by drawing those emissions out of the atmosphere, say by growing trees. So when you balance the two out, you're left with zero. Except it's not just growing trees, it's also phasing out fossil fuels as much as possible, because there's only so much land on the planet for trees, which also take a long time to grow. So is net zero the Paris agreement? No, but they are related. Net zero is widely accepted as a means to achieving the goals set out in the Paris agreement, which is a pledge to try to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. 195 countries have formally joined the agreement, but their progress card isn't looking great. The truth is that we have failed to avoid an overshooting above 1.5 degrees in the next few years. A UN Environment Programme report released ahead of COP30 said the current plans from national governments would lead to global heating between 2.3 and 2.5 degrees Celsius, and that could look deadly. Every fraction of a degree means more hunger, displacement and loss, especially for those least responsible. This is moral failure and deadly negligence. In Australia, the former Prime Minister Scott Morrison made a commitment to reach net zero by 2050. In September, the Albanese government released a plan to reach that goal, which relies on carbon removal technologies as well as direct emissions cuts. It also aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions between 62 and 70% by 2035, based on 2005 levels. That's a range criticised from both sides for being either too high or not high enough. But net zero, like all government goals, is inherently political. By the time you're watching this video, the goalposts could have changed. What really matters is the actions to cut emissions, not just the target.