For better climate, it’s important to achieve carbon neutrality

CO2 is essential in the atmosphere to control Earth’s temperature.  CO2, methane and halocarbons are known as greenhouse gases, and these absorb a wide range of energy that is emitted by Earth and re-emit the same. The occurrence, rate and intensity of these gases have increased phenomenally over the last 150 years, so much so that the presence of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by 30 per cent over this period.  A direct consequence of this increase is the warming of our planet — the average surface temperature has increased by more than one degree Fahrenheit since the late 1800s.  

Global carbon dioxide emissions were a whopping 32.3 billion tonnes in 2014. In order to keep the temperature change caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions less than 2°C, the atmospheric concentrations of carbon emissions need to be stabilised to 450 ppm.  And this is a target that many countries, including India have endorsed.   

Strong mitigation measures need to be implemented to avoid the impending global catastrophe that would be propelled by GHGs.  One of the mitigation measures is to achieve carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint. This refers to reducing current greenhouse gas emissions to the point where we reach a balance between those emissions entering the atmosphere and the capacity of the Earth to absorb them. Carbon neutrality may be extended to include other greenhouse gases (GHG) as well-measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence (CO2e). The ‘other’ greenhouse gases are methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). 

The term is especially relevant in the context of CO2 releasing processes associated with transportation, energy production, and industrial processes such as production of carbon neutral fuel. It also demands a rapid transformation in the way we value ecosystems to ensure that Nature will continue to play an even more central role in removing carbon from the atmosphere. 

Carbon neutrality is cancelling out the harm done to the earth’s atmosphere by one type of greenhouse gas-generating human activity, through another human activity that either reduces CO2 emissions by an equal amount; or prevents an equal amount being generated by substituting a non- or low carbon producing alternative.  Examples of such activities at a very generic level,  include the time tested practice of increasing green cover, for plants are the best sinks for carbon,  produce and use essential commodities like power in an efficient and prudent manner, minimise generation of waste and use well entrenched methods for recycling and disposal etc.  

Ultimately, to achieve a climate-neutral society, the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will have to be stabilised at a new equilibrium, where natural uptake by the oceans and biosphere equals global emissions.   It is time to make a commitment to move towards a more nuanced and sustainable pathway of development.