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Tyndall Manchester

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New Manchester Policy Blog on setting climate targets: when is net zero really net zero?

26 April 2019

Jaise Kuriakose, Clair Gough, James Mason and Brendan Moore from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research have recently written a blog addressing the ambiguity surrounding net zero terminology used in policy target setting.

Terms such as these originate from the 2015 Paris Agreement and ‘net zero’ was further emphasised in the IPCC 1.5°C special report, increasing the pressure for including such terminology in new policy targets. Multiple terms, such as carbon neutral, climate neutral, net zero and zero emissions, have been used interchangeably in both country-level and city-level target setting, including Manchester’s recent 2038 zero carbon target developed by the Tyndall Centre. Defining these terms is, however, not straight forward and understanding the assumptions involved is essential to deliver on the aspirations set out in the Paris Agreement.

The blog highlights key components to look out for when understanding policy targets, concluding that enabling local authorities to set and deliver their own CO2-based targets would allow the development of a consistent and comparable approach across national administrative areas.

Read the full blog at the link below:

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