Dell, Google & Amazon: What is Net Zero?
Net zero generally refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gases produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.
The Paris Agreement was implemented in 2015, as a legally binding international treaty iniciting that net zero must be reached by 2050.
The agreement works on a five year cycle, creating increasingly ambitious climate targets for countries, with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
This has brought a wider focus on sustainability and impacted the private sector, with many now implementing net zero goals in alignment with the agreement.
The United Nations (UN) reports that more than 9,000 companies, thousands of cities, educational institutions and more than 600 financial institutions have joined the race to net zero with pledges to take immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030.
Even with a large global effort, the UN says that commitments made by governments are still not meeting the requirements to reach the end goals.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said: “We are in the fight of our lives, and we are losing.
“Greenhouse gas emissions keep growing, global temperatures keep rising and our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible.
“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.
“The science is clear: Any hope of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees means achieving global net zero emissions by 2050.”
How is net zero interpreted?
Although many are on the same page about meeting net zero targets globally, lots of organisations define the term differently.
The World Economic Forum says that net zero doesn't mean completely removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but that the same amount released is removed, creating balance.
The Science Based Targets initiative describes net zero as reducing Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions to zero or to a residual level that is consistent with meeting the global warming target of 1.5°C, alongside permanently neutralising any residual emissions.
The WWF says that net zero means balancing the volume of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere and specifies that emissions need to be kept to a minimum, with the rest being reabsorbed through climate sinks.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes net zero as a condition in which human caused carbon dioxide emissions are balanced by anthropogenic CO₂ removals over a specified period, meaning all the CO₂ humanity emits each year must be offset by actively removing the same amount from the atmosphere.
The Paris Agreement outlines that achieving net zero is a balance between anthropogenic emissions and removals by using sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century.
What is the difference between carbon neutral and net zero?
National Grid says that carbon neutral refers to offsetting GHG emissions, mostly focusing in activities that avoid Scope 1 and 2 emissions, with Scope 3 being encouraged but not mandatory.
Net zero, however, refers to actively removing the carbon emissions from the atmosphere through different methods like carbon capture and afforestation, making emission reductions equal to output.
For a company to become carbon neutral, it means it is taking steps to remove CO₂ from activities across its supply chain, investing in carbon sinks.
By investing in forests or oceans, companies can offset emissions as it absorbs and stores more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits.
Net zero is an expanded version of carbon neutrality, including the removal of carbon emissions as well as greenhouse gases, creating a balance between all emissions impacting climate change.
Leading tech companies in reaching net zero.
Leading technology companies like Amazon, Google and Dell have set goals to reach net zero.
Amazon
Amazon says it is committed to reaching net zero by 2040 and co-founded The Climate Pledge to encourage other organisations to do the same.
The company is working towards this goal by using various new technologies like AI and electric vehicles.
Amazon says it has improved the company's energy efficiency by using AI and has worked on decarbonising its transportation by growing its global fleet of electric delivery vans to 31,400.
It also aims to support others on the journey. For example, its Right Now Climate Fund which has protected and restored 49,000 hectares of land through biodiversity and nature related projects within five years.
Andy Jassy, CEO at Amazon, says: “The effects of climate change are becoming more and more apparent in our surroundings and daily lives, and we firmly believe that the private sector must continue to innovate and collaborate across regions and industries in order to decarbonise the global economy at scale.
“It’s an encouraging sign that more than 300 businesses have now signed The Climate Pledge, which commits them to confronting climate change head-on by incorporating real business changes that will make a lasting impact on our planet.
“We can only do it together.”
Google says that it is driving innovation and resilience through its research.
The company says it has a goal to reach net zero emissions across all its operations and value chain by 2030.
It says that it has been investing in various clean energy sources like advanced nuclear, geothermal and grid enhancing technology.
Google is also focusing on rehabilitating nature by planting native trees and forming external partnerships focusing on wetland restoration.
Sundar Pichai, CEO at Google, says: “At Google, we’ve been asking these questions for 25 years: can a company at our scale operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy?
“How can we use technology to help others achieve their climate goals and make more sustainable choices?
“We began purchasing clean energy in 2010. By 2017, all our energy purchases were matched with 100% renewable energy.
“And today, two-thirds of the energy used for our offices and data centres is 24/7 carbon free.
“Our goal is to reach 100% by the end of the decade".
Dell
Dell says its goal is to reach net zero by 2050.
The company says it is focusing on progressing technology to conserve resources and make intentional applications.
Dell partners with other businesses to form green data centre solutions, create advancements in cooling and power management technologies and provides remote IT access to devices reducing fuel consumption from deskside visits.
Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO at Dell Technologies, says: “Sustainability and ESG commitments are now widely recognised as business imperatives that impact everything from supplier decisions to business strategy.
“At Dell, we are both meeting our goals and helping customers meet theirs.”
