Fact Check: Net Zero is NOT a scam to destroy the Western countries designed by politicians
Net Zero emissions mean balancing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere with the amount removed.
Net Zero is not a scam
Net Zero emissions mean balancing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere with the amount removed. It means achieving a state where human-caused carbon emissions are nullified by the carbon removal, either by using natural processes or technological solutions, resulting in no net increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we know, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere through various human activities, such as burning fossil fuels for energy, industrial processes, and deforestation. The carbon removal process can involve natural processes such as photosynthesis in plants and trees that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Technological solutions like direct air capture are in use to remove carbon dioxide directly from the air.
Meanwhile, some social media users are sharing posts claiming that Net Zero is a scam, and it is being driven by politicians to get the green tax money. Some users are sharing posts like “Net Zero is a scam. There is no emergency. Just a desire for politicians to impoverish you with green taxes, then control you using carbon credits. Do NOT accept it.”
While some other users have shared posts with captions like “Asia produces 62% of global CO2 emissions. #NetZero is a scam to destroy Western economies.”
Here is the archive link of the claim.
Fact Check:
The claim is False. Net zero means cutting carbon emissions to a small amount of residual emissions that can be absorbed and durably stored by nature and other carbon dioxide removal measures, leaving zero in the atmosphere.
The science shows clearly that in order to avert the worst impacts of climate change and preserve a livable planet, global temperature increase needs to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Currently, the Earth is already about 1.2°C warmer than it was in the late 1800s, and emissions continue to rise. To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C – as called for in the Paris Agreement – emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
The six largest greenhouse gas emitters (China, the United States of America, India, the European Union, the Russian Federation, and Brazil) accounted for 63 per cent of global emissions in 2023. By contrast, the 45 least developed countries accounted for only 3 per cent.
The G20, the group of the world’s largest 20 economies (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union) are responsible for about 77 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report in October 2018 on the 1.5ºC target; it affirmed that global emissions need to reach net zero around mid-century to give a reasonable chance of limiting warming to 1.5ºC. Since then, the commitment to aiming for 1.5°C was confirmed by the leaders of wealthy countries at meetings of the G7 and the G20 in 2021, as well as by the Glasgow Climate Pact, which was agreed by all parties at COP26 in November 2021. The goal has been reaffirmed by subsequent UN climate summits – COPs – and remains the overarching goal of global climate action.
The science has only become clearer and more unequivocal. In 2023, the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report said:
“Limiting human-caused global warming requires net-zero CO2 emissions. Cumulative carbon emissions until the time of reaching net zero CO2 emissions and the level of greenhouse gas emission reductions this decade largely determine whether warming can be limited to 1.5°C or 2°C...
From a physical science perspective, limiting human-caused global warming to a specific level requires limiting cumulative CO2 emissions, reaching at least net zero CO2 emissions, along with strong reductions in other greenhouse gas emissions. Reaching net zero GHG emissions primarily requires deep reductions in CO2, methane, and other GHG emissions, and implies net negative CO2 emissions.”
In many sectors of the economy, technologies exist that can bring emissions to zero. In electricity, it can be done using renewable and nuclear generation. A transport system that runs on electricity or hydrogen, well-insulated homes, and industrial processes based on electricity rather than gas can all help to bring sectoral emissions to absolute zero.
However, in industries such as aviation, the technological options are limited; in agriculture, too, it is highly unlikely that emissions will be brought to zero. Therefore, some emissions from these sectors will likely remain, and in order to offset these, an equivalent amount of CO2 will need to be taken out of the atmosphere – negative emissions. Thus, the target becomes ‘net zero’ for the economy as a whole. The term ‘carbon neutrality’ is also used.
UN, IPCC, NASA, NOAA, and other leading scientific organisations have confirmed that reducing emissions is essential to limit the rise in global temperature to avoid the worst impact on the climate.
Netzeroclimate.org, University of Oxford’s study identified seven attributes of net zero, which are important to make it a successful framework for climate action. The seven attributes highlight the urgency of emission reductions, which need to be front-loaded, and of coverage of all emission sources, including currently difficult ones. The attributes emphasize the need for social and environmental integrity. This means carbon dioxide removals should be used cautiously, and the use of carbon offsets should be regulated effectively. Net zero must be aligned with broader sustainable development objectives, which implies an equitable net-zero transition, socio-ecological sustainability, and the pursuit of broad economic opportunities.
They are front-loaded emission reductions, a comprehensive approach to emission reductions, cautious use of carbon dioxide removal and storage, effective regulation of carbon offsets, an equitable transition to net zero, alignment with broader socio-ecological objectives, and the pursuit of new economic opportunities.
According to the PIB, India is a developing country, in pursuit of its development and poverty eradication goals. It is to be noted that India’s historical cumulative emissions from 1850 to 2019 amount to less than 4 percent of the cumulative carbon dioxide emissions of the world from the pre-industrial era, despite being home to 17 percent of the world’s population. Hence, India’s responsibility for global warming thus far has been minimal, and even today, its annual per capita emissions are only about one-third of the global average.
Therefore, the claim that Net Zero is a scam to destroy Western countries designed by politicians, it has nothing to do with climate change, is False.
Claim : Net Zero is a scam to destroy the Western countries designed by politicians, it has nothing to do with climate change
Claimed By : Twitter users
Fact Check : Unknown