THE REAL MATH BEHIND “NET ZERO” CARBON EMISSIONS

More than 100 countries — responsible for about two-thirds of the world’s heat-trapping gases — have announced plans to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to “net zero” in coming decades to help curb man-made climate change.

The target has also been embraced by companies, states and cities wanting to help stop the planet from getting too hot for human comfort. China made a splash in September promising “carbon neutrality” by 2060, and U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has promised America would be there by 2050.

But what exactly does “net zero” mean? Does it mean no more smokestacks? And is it any more than creative accounting?

WHY NET ZERO?

Carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas, is produced by animals, including humans, and is absorbed by plants and the oceans. But burning of coal, oil and natural gas since the late 19thcentury far outstrips what plants and the oceans can remove from the air.