Net Zero
The world emitted 37 Gt of CO2 in 2018. If we include other greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane, it emitted more than 53 Gt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in the same year. According to a 2018 IPCC report Global Warming of 1.5°C, to keep global temperature rise since the beginning of the industrial revolution below 1.5°C, the world must become a ‘net zero’ carbon emitter by 2050. In this scenario, total GHG emissions need to reach zero between 2063 and 2068. To stay under 2°C, the world needs to reach carbon net zero between 2070 and 2085. After reaching net zero, the world needs to move to a carbon negative trajectory—taking out more carbon each year from the atmosphere than it puts in.
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