Climate change has become a life-threatening global emergency in the last three decades. According to scientists, the world’s temperature will increase by 2.7 degrees Celsius this century. It is creating a significant increase in global temperatures that causes natural disasters and massive damage in this planet. Climate change, as the emerging issue at UNFCCC COP26 in Glasgow, has encouraged countries and businesses to pledge an ambitious target to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

There is still much work to be done in terms of implementing a net zero emissions target. As of February 2021, over 110 businesses that directly utilize substantial amounts of energy or manufacture things that consume energy had declared net-zero emissions objectives or targets. This is a sharp rise from previous years. Each stakeholder has unique advantages and roles that, when combined, constitute crucial capital for low-carbon development.

Then, what exactly is Net Zero Emission? Here is the explanation: 

What is “Net Zero Emission”?

Net Zero Emissions refers to the condition of achieving a balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activities and greenhouse gas emissions released from the atmosphere as a carbon removal process. To achieve this, a transition from the current energy system to a clean, zero-energy system is necessary. 1 

The term “net zero” is important because it denotes the point at which global warming comes to an end. Emissions produced by humans should be fully absorbed by the earth’s ecosystem. The Paris Agreement requires countries and companies to strike a balance between anthropogenic emissions by source and their absorption by greenhouse gas sinks.

It’s important to remember that emissions generated by human activity, such as the use of fossil fuels in production and transportation, should be reduced as quickly as possible to zero. Therefore, nothing evaporates into the atmosphere and creates greenhouse gases. The remaining greenhouse gases are offset by an equivalent quantity of carbon removal, which may be accomplished by doing things like planting more trees, preventing deforestation, preventing land degradation, conserving marine ecosystems, and using direct air capture and storage technology (DACS).

What is an example of achieving net zero emissions?

Countries have issued new regulations in terms of providing electrical energy that is adapted to the NZE program. The IESR report on Deep Decarbonization of Indonesia’s Energy System: A Pathway to Zero Emission by 2050 shows that the energy sector (power generation, Transportation, and industry) can achieve zero emissions by 2050 because it has technical and economic feasibility. With four fundamental pillars—renewable energy, electrification, a reduction in the use of fossil fuels, and clean fuels—that act as a road map. The study also projects that the electricity sector will become the first sector to be carbon-free by 2045 by utilizing renewable energy sources and battery technology. In this way, it is possible to reduce GHG emissions by at least 70% by 2050.

Reducing global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to net zero by 2050 is a consistent effort to limit the long-term increase in the global average temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We still have time to prevent the worst consequences of climate change and build a future where everyone is safer. On the bottom line, a net zero future is achievable.

Sources : 

https://ppsdmaparatur.esdm.go.id/seputar-ppsdma/berkenalan-dengan-net-zero-emission