Net Zero Flashcards
Should there be a net in net zero?
where was net zero coined?
United Nations Paris Agreement, 2015
Article 4 - to achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of GHGs in the second half of this century
how many countries have net zero commitments
As of November 2023, around 145 countries
what does the IPCC mean by balance and net Co2 emissions?
emissions - removals resulting directly from ongoing human activities
eg. technology that draws down carbon emissions
what does the UNFCC and everyone else consider balance and net Co2 emissions as?
removal of co2 on managed lands resulting indirectly from past emissions
How could Canada declare themselves net Zero?
Canadas forests absorb 1/40th of all emissions in the world
could declare forests as managed land
use this sink to balance out net carbon emissions
what percentage of global oceans are in EEZs?
30%
Countries could claim these sinks as part of net zero goal
explain what re-classifying passive uptake will mean for net zero goals?
targets must be adapted/ modified - countries must actually go below net zero when incorporating passive emissions in order to stabilise global temperatures
The original net zero model was created with an understanding of passive uptake as a continuous natural system that maintained balance (not a net zero solution) - if countries count these sinks they then actually need to reduce lower than zero
Emissions actually have to reduce to zero - not just in balance
goals as of yet have not been readjusted
which country claims net zero but is buying carbon offsets?
Government of Switzerland - buying from developing countries means they can achieve net zero by doing nothing
there are no legal requirements that mean people have to show how much they are buying
no transparency on how people are achieving net zero - through actual or bought of change to emissions
Controversy with forest buying?
The problem of selling carbon credits lies in the buyer rather than seller
For some areas the only way to protect these forests is by creating the funds through selling carbon offsets
what needs to be done to stop global warming?
- burn less, replace fossil fuels with non-fossil energy
- unlikely to ban fossil fuels altogether instead reduce by 60-70%
- need to store more - achieve net zero by storing the remainder of emissions permanently back underground
must increase geologically stored fraction from _____ to ______
0.1% today to 100%
by 2100 we need to capture and store ____ tonnes of carbon
1 trillion
by 2100 need to avoid ____ tonnes of co2 emissions
2-3 trillion
Geological CO2 disposal recieves less than ____ of funding
1% (BloomsbergNEF)
where does the most amount of funding go for energy transition?
renewable energy - wind and solar
and electrification
