Net-Zero Target

A commitment to reduce emissions and to balance any remaining emissions with removals, so that net emissions reach zero by a stated date. What a particular target actually means depends entirely on its specification: which gases and sectors are covered, whether international aviation and shipping are included, what role removals and international credits may play, what interim milestones exist, and whether the target sits in legislation, in policy, or in a political pledge.

Why it matters in the room

“Net zero by year X” conveys very little on its own. The substance is in coverage, the treatment of removals and legal status — which is why the useful question is never whether a country has a net-zero target but how that target is defined.