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Every life is related to the environment. The way we consume based on the use of fossil fuels such as oil coal or natural gas leaves a negative footprint on the planet. Carbon neutrality reduces the negative impact on the environment to achieve a net result of zero emissions. According to Chen J.M.’s report in 2021, “Greenhouse gases have caused average global temperatures to rise by 1.2 degrees Celsius from 1850 to 2020. Global warming threatens the survival of lives, destroys our living environments, and causes droughts, floods, wildfires, species extinction, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, melting of Arctic pole and Antarctic pole, and rising of sea levels. Carbon neutrality would be the first step to stop damage caused by human activities. Since 1850, human beings have used up approximately half of fossil fuels on the earth. These resources took hundreds of millions of years to form. Based on the current rate of extraction, oil and gas will be used up in only 40 to 80 years, and about 100 years for coal to be consumed.” In order to maintain a sustainable ecological environment, countries worldwide are signing agreements to pledge the target year to achieve carbon neutrality and discuss strategies to implement.

The way to achieve carbon neutrality is by measuring the reduced energy consumption as much as possible. First, improve energy efficiency innovation in low carbon technology, increase the consumption of electricity from renewable sources (solar, wind, hydroelectricity), and eliminate the use of fossil fuels that cause climate change; that means emitting fewer greenhouse (Carbon neutrality, 2022). The report shows, the countries with higher GDP and more export diversification and eco-innovative technology would have a positive impact on carbon dioxide (Iqbal et al., 2021).  Second, charging carbon tax on industries that emit greenhouse gas. Last but not least, grow more forests to absorb carbon dioxide (Carbon neutrality, 2022).

Today it is possible to reach zero emissions in many of our activities in many countries. Over 90%, 124 of the 137 countries set the target of 2050 for reaching carbon neutrality (Sponsored Content Article/Editing, 2021). Bhutan and Suriname are the two countries that have negative carbon emissions (Sponsored Content Article/Editing, 2021). Some of the countries are the world’s largest emitter which set the targeting 2060; at the same time, they have climate targets set as official policy, such as U.S., Germany, and China (Sponsored Content Article/Editing, 2021).

The report shows, developed countries generally have higher carbon emissions, because many industries burn a lot amount of fossil fuels such as manufacturing and meat production; the residents in developed countries own automobiles which are the main contributors (Carbon footprint by country , 2022). Climate change reminds humans to change their habits to reduce carbon emissions. Many countries are going to achieve the pledge to reach carbon neutrality globally. 

Reference:

Carbon footprint by country 2022. (2022). Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/carbon-footprint-by-country

Carbon neutrality. Carbon Neutrality | Sustainability & Carbon Solutions. (2022). Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://sustainability.berkeley.edu/carbon-neutrality

Chen, J. M. (2021). Carbon neutrality: Toward a sustainable future. The Innovation, 2(3), 100127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100127

Iqbal, N., Abbasi, K. R., Shinwari, R., Guangcai, W., Ahmad, M., & Tang, K. (2021). Does exports diversification and environmental innovation achieve Carbon Neutrality Target of OECD economies? Journal of Environmental Management, 291, 112648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112648

Sponsored Content Article/Editing: . (2021, July 13). Race to net zero: Carbon neutral goals by country. Visual Capitalist. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.visualcapitalist.com/race-to-net-zero-carbon-neutral-goals-by-country/