Net zero
Etymology
From accounting’s "net" (the balance after offsets). The key distinction is from "zero emissions," which means emitting nothing at all; net zero allows continued emissions so long as they are cancelled by removals, which makes the credibility of those removals decisive — and a frequent point of dispute.
noun phrase · /NET ZEER-oh/
A state in which greenhouse gases emitted are balanced by an equal amount removed, so the net addition is zero.
What it names
The central target of global climate policy, and its precise meaning matters — because “net” is doing crucial and sometimes slippery work.
Example
The firm pledged net zero by 2040, but critics asked how much relied on tree-planting offsets rather than actual emission cuts.
Related idea
Turns on carbon offsets, the credits used to balance the ledger; the integrity of net-zero claims rises or falls on whether those offsets represent real, lasting removals.