What is Net Zero?
Net Zero is a government initiative set up to tackle the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere. Reaching ‘Net Zero’ means that the total greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere will be balanced by the emissions that are removed from the atmosphere, which in time, will close the gap. The UK is on its way to become the first major economy to end its contribution to the global climate devastation. Therefore, between now and 2050, businesses are being advised to eliminate their use of fossil fuels in the hope to change over to technologies such as renewables. This will, in theory, avoid the effects of global warming. While it is still possible that the effects of global warming up until this point are irreversible, the UK Net Zero initiative hopes to take the first steps so that other economies will follow suit.
Why 2050 is the target year for net zero:
To keep global warming from causing further harm to the planet, the planet’s temperature must not surpass 1.5°C. As mentioned, businesses can reduce their use of non-renewable resources (e.g. gas & coal) and transfer to renewable resources (e.g. solar & wind). However, there are high-cost implications associated with becoming ‘greener’. This is due to the inability to fund carbon removal technologies, as well as the cost of replacing the existing infrastructures. Despite this, the UK has committed to a legally binding target of the Net Zero emissions by 2050, which encourages businesses to step up and help preserve a liveable planet by adhering to the Net Zero initiative.
