The world is marching towards carbon neutrality!4 min read

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The planet is warming up and we need to keep this increasing temperature to under 2 degree celsius till 2100 to ensure survival of our home.
How can we do this? By going carbon neutral!

What does this mean?
Most nations of the world at present emit more greenhouses gases than they absorb. This warms up our world. Nations become carbon neutral when their emission of greenhouse gases matches their absorption. This is the ideal space to be!

This will require a lot of changes. We can start from our homes, but governments from all over the world are pledging to create large-scale impact.
Many nations have decided to move towards carbon neutrality within a specific time frame.

Here’s what some of them have promised to the world-

1. Sweden

Carbon neutral by 2045

Sweden was the first nation to institute a law defining a timeline for this goal.
It has invested in hydroelectric projects and levied carbon tax to support a shift from fossil fuels.

Owliver Obscure Observations:
Do you know about the 17-year-old activist Greta Thunberg? She is from Sweden and her message for the environment has spread all over the world!

2. Denmark

Carbon neutral by 2050

To achieve this goal, Denmark is moving towards fossil fuel free electricity by 2030.
It has introduced decarbonisation laws and has pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 70% by 2030.
In 2019, it was revealed that 47% of the country’s energy came from windmills!
Find out, how that works, here.

3. China

Carbon neutral by 2060

China is the biggest burner of coal in the world. It is also the largest market for fossil fuels. However, China is also a leader in building renewables and investing in clean energy.
This makes China’s pledge to go carbon neutral really significant for the world! If China is successful in its goal, the world will avoid 215 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide!

4. Japan

Carbon neutral by 2050

Japan, the world’s fifth highest emitter,  is the most recent country to promise carbon neutrality. It plans on achieving this goal by 2050. Earlier, Japan had pledged a reduction in greenhouse emissions by 80% by 2050.

To be able to achieve this target, Japan will have to increase dependence on renewable energy to the tunes of 50% by 2030.

If the goals seem too far and difficult, here’s some inspiration-

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Bhutan in Asia and Suriname in South America are the only two countries in the world that are carbon negative. This means they absorb more greenhouse gases than they emit.  So, it’s doable and the world is waking up to this possibility.

At our end, we must continue to practice the 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), avoid wastage of resources and support the policies that will help keep our planet cool.

Think with Owliver:
What is India doing towards carbon neutrality or reduced emissions? Find out and see how you can help.