net zero – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

April 19, 2021

Net zero won’t be achieved in inner city wine bars: Morrison

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

As Scott Morrison gradually pivots his climate policy towards embracing a target of net zero emissions by 2050, he is seeking to distinguish the government from “inner city” types and political opponents who've been marching down that road for a long time.

Two people walk their bicycles along a flooded street on the waterfront of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as Hurricane Irma passes through on Sept. 10, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

February 23, 2021

Why a net-zero future depends on the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon

Anya M. Waite, Dalhousie University; Brad deYoung, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Chris Milley, Dalhousie University, and Ian G. Stewart, University of King's College

Economic recovery and carbon neutrality are linked. Both depend on the ocean's ability to continue to regulate climate.

January 12, 2021

Net-zero, carbon-neutral, carbon-negative … confused by all the carbon jargon? Then read this

Jessica Allen, University of Newcastle

Zero emission? Carbon neutral? Carbon negative? What does it mean to achieve 'net-zero' emissions?

November 19, 2020

Net zero emissions targets are everywhere – we need to sort the genuine from the greenwash

Steve Smith, University of Oxford and Tim Kruger, University of Oxford

Because pledges alone won't achieve net zero.

October 8, 2020

China just stunned the world with its step-up on climate action – and the implications for Australia may be huge

Hao Tan, University of Newcastle; Elizabeth Thurbon, UNSW; John Mathews, Macquarie University, and Sung-Young Kim, Macquarie University

It remains to be seen whether China's climate promise is genuine. But it puts pressure on many other nations – not least Australia – to follow.

September 29, 2020

Is the EU ‘cheating’ on its net-zero emissions plan? Here’s what the science says

Wolfgang Knorr, Lund University

'Carbon sinks' like forests and the soil have already been factored into the carbon budget – they should not be double-counted.

July 23, 2020

In a world first, Australian university builds own solar farm to offset 100% of its electricity use

Jake Whitehead, The University of Queensland; Andrew Wilson, The University of Queensland; Peta Ashworth, The University of Queensland; Saphira Rekker, The University of Queensland, and Tapan K Saha, The University of Queensland

Households shouldn't have to do all the heavy lifting in the renewables transition. A new solar farm shows organisations and businesses how it's done.

July 22, 2020

Hydrogen isn’t the key to Britain’s green recovery – here’s why

Tom Baxter, University of Aberdeen

Energy efficiency and electrification should lead the effort to decarbonise society, not hydrogen.

Artist rendition of the National Western Center, a net-zero campus under construction in Denver to house multiple activities. City and County of Denver | Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center

May 26, 2020

Buildings consume lots of energy – here’s how to design whole communities that give back as much as they take

Charles F. Kutscher, University of Colorado Boulder

Net zero energy buildings produce at least as much energy as they use. Designing whole net zero campuses and communities takes the energy and climate benefits to a higher level.

The Groningen gas field in the Netherlands was discovered in 1959, and is the largest natural gas field in Europe. (Skitterphoto/Wikimedia)

February 20, 2020

Carbon pricing may be overrated, if history is any indication

Cameron Roberts, Carleton University

The case for carbon pricing is not as ironclad as the case for climate action.

January 30, 2020

We can decarbonise the UK’s gas heating network by recycling rainwater – here’s how

Seamus Garvey, University of Nottingham

Britain's electricity supply is getting greener but the burning question remains over how to decarbonise heating.

How green will he really be? Vickie Flores/EPA

December 13, 2019

What Boris Johnson’s government needs to do to show it is serious on climate change

Rebecca Willis, Lancaster University

After his landslide victory, Boris Johnson declared his ambition to make his country 'the cleanest, greenest on Earth'. Here's what he needs to do to prove it.

November 6, 2019

How small states can cut their carbon emissions to net zero – Wales has already started

Filippos Proedrou, University of South Wales

Wales is one small country with big carbon targets but that still needs the policies to deliver them.

Huge crowds marched last week to demand progress towards net zero emissions – and companies are listening. AAP Image/James Ross

October 3, 2019

Australia’s biggest property companies are making net-zero emissions pledges – now we can track them

Amandine Denis-Ryan, Monash University

Some of Australia's biggest property companies are making ambitious emissions-reduction pledges – but how well are they really doing?

September 25, 2019

Labour’s Green New Deal is among the most radical in the world – but can it be done by 2030?

Michael Jacobs, University of Sheffield

Labour's next manifesto could be defined by a radical proposal for tackling climate change.

A view of the opening video played at the start of the UN’s 2019 Climate Action Summit. Justin Lane/EPA

September 24, 2019

UN Climate Action Summit missed a key ingredient: climate action

Nicholas Beuret, University of Essex

Guterres wanted world leaders to tackle subsidies for fossil fuels, implement taxes on carbon, and end new coal power beyond 2020. None of this happened.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar, one of 7 UK coal-fired power plants still in service. Diana Parkhouse/Unsplash

September 15, 2019

2050 is too late – we must drastically cut emissions much sooner

Tim Jackson, University of Surrey

At current rates of reduction, the UK's fair carbon budget will be spent in just four years' time.

Our consumption is not without impacts. Roman Mikhailiuk

September 2, 2019

Focusing on cutting emissions alone won’t halt ecological decline, we must consume less – former UK chief environmental adviser

Ian Boyd, University of St Andrews

Putting all of our eggs in the net zero basket is merely kicking the can down the road.

July 11, 2019

The stark truth about UK government climate action: there is no one in charge