Okuzeka
Energy & Renewables vocabulary · Emissions and Energy Policy

Net zero

Meaning in energy & renewables, with examples

nounCore term

In energy & renewables, net zero means: A state in which the greenhouse gases a country or company puts into the air are balanced by the amount it removes, so that its overall contribution is zero.

In Turkish: net sıfır, net sıfır emisyon

How it is used

Used in targets and pledges: reach net zero by 2050, a net-zero target, net-zero emissions. Before a noun it is hyphenated (net-zero strategy). Getting there usually needs deep emission cuts plus removals, for example by forests or carbon capture.

Example sentences

  1. The group has committed to reaching net zero across its operations by 2045.

  2. Our net-zero plan starts with switching all sites to renewable electricity.

Common collocations

  • reach net zero
  • net-zero target
  • net-zero emissions
  • net-zero pathway
  • carbon emissionsCarbon dioxide released into the air, mainly by burning coal, oil and gas. The term is often used loosely for all greenhouse gas emissions.
  • decarbonizationReducing the carbon dioxide emissions of an economy, sector or company, for example by switching to renewable power, electrifying heat and transport and improving efficiency.
  • carbon capture and storageTechnology that captures carbon dioxide from power plants or factories before it reaches the air, then transports it and stores it permanently deep underground.
  • greenhouse gasA gas in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane or nitrous oxide, that traps heat and contributes to global warming.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Emissions and Energy Policy

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: