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1. What is Net Zero?

Net Zero, also known as Net Zero Emission, aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with the remaining emissions being absorbed from the atmosphere by forests, oceans, and other measures.

2. Why is Net Zero important?

Each passing year, the accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions continues to increase. Currently, the Earth has warmed by about 1.1°C compared to the late 1800s, and emissions show no signs of stopping.

Meanwhile, to prevent the unforeseen consequences of climate change and ensure life on Earth, global warming needs to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Will maintaining this limit be successful if the current situation is not addressed?

According to scientists, to limit human-induced temperature increases, CO2 emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and achieve the Net Zero goal by 2050.

To achieve this, at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow (Scotland), Vietnam and many other countries around the world committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This commitment is not only a statement but also cooperation, effort, and collective action from countries in the fight against climate change and in building a sustainable future.

3. Differentiating Net Zero and Carbon Neutral

Net Zero and Carbon Neutral are often confused with each other, where Carbon Neutral is a state in which the total carbon emissions released into the environment and the total carbon dioxide absorbed or removed from the environment are equivalent.

Net Zero is a newer concept that is broader in scope and requires a stronger effort to achieve, with the ultimate goal of reducing global emissions as much as possible.

Criterion	Net-zero	Carbon Neutral
Concept	Cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with the remaining emissions being absorbed from the atmosphere by forests, oceans, and other measures.	Achieving a balance between carbon emissions and carbon removal or reduction.
Significance	The goal of Net Zero is for organizations to "self-reduce" a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions in their activities. A small portion can be offset by other means.	Carbon Neutral primarily focuses on the end result of achieving a balance between carbon emissions and reabsorption. It overlooks whether there is "self-reduction" or the use of offsetting measures.
Scope	All value chains, from production to consumption.	Primarily from the production and use of clean energy sources.
Related Emission Sources	Related to indirect emissions from the value chain and consumers.	Mainly reducing emissions from production and clean energy sources.

Overall, carbon neutrality is relatively easier to achieve than Net Zero. An organization that "cuts" its emissions by 20%, with the remaining 80% offset by other methods, can claim to have achieved carbon neutrality. But they cannot claim to achieve Net Zero with that approach.

Net Zero requires governments and organizations to be stronger in "self-cutting" emissions from their own activities. This requires many efforts in researching, improving, and applying new technologies to reduce emissions.

4. How can Net Zero be achieved?

To turn "commitment" into "action" for the global Net Zero goal, we need to actively transform production, consumption, and transportation methods. Here are three feasible and effective solutions on the path to Net Zero:

4.1 Emission Reduction:

Reducing the amount of emissions in life, production, and business is seen as the most direct method. Among these, the energy sector - the source of about three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions - is crucial in accelerating the pace towards Net Zero.

To achieve this, businesses need to use energy efficiently and save energy. This includes reducing activities such as extracting and using fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas, as well as utilizing renewable energy sources, employing green technologies, and enhancing waste treatment measures.

4.2 Carbon Capture:

Another way to achieve Net Zero is to enhance the absorption of carbon emissions from the environment. This can be done by planting trees and reforesting to absorb CO2 from the air or using Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology to recover carbon from emissions sources and transport it to safe, long-term storage sites like deep geological formations underground, seabeds, etc.

4.3 Emission Offsetting:

Emission offsetting involves implementing solutions to compensate for pollution and harmful gas emissions to the environment and humans by investing in environmental protection projects, energy regeneration, or purchasing carbon credits.

Carbon credits are permits that allow the owner to emit a certain amount of CO2 or other greenhouse gases. Each carbon credit is usually equivalent to one ton of CO2 or other greenhouse gases converted to CO2 equivalent.

In other words, businesses will have to pay for the emitted gas during the production process. Conversely, for businesses that fully absorb emissions, even exceeding the amount of greenhouse gases they emit, they can sell carbon credits.

5. Thuan Hai's Journey Towards Net Zero

As a pioneer in using clean energy, Thuan Hai is proud to accompany customers on the journey towards Net Zero. We are committed to developing and implementing environmentally friendly solutions, such as utilizing energy from Biomass.

Furthermore, Thuan Hai continues to strive to seek and commit to investing in research and development of new technologies, ensuring the provision of efficient and sustainable energy solutions, while constantly delivering sustainable values to the environment, community, and society.

 

Contact Thuan Hai for advice on comprehensive, efficient energy solutions.