Climate & Environment
Real Zero
Definition
Real zero denotes reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero (or as near as physically possible) through direct elimination — rather than achieving a net figure by purchasing offsets to compensate for continuing emissions. The term is used by scientists, campaigners and companies to criticise net zero strategies that lean heavily on credits, stressing that the atmosphere responds to actual emissions, not to accounting balances.
References
Overview
How it is used
The term appears in corporate climate claims scrutiny, offset integrity debates, and positioning by companies and jurisdictions committing to eliminate fossil use outright.
Why it matters
The real-versus-net zero distinction is the sharpest formulation of the credibility question at the heart of corporate climate commitments.