What does carbon neutral mean?

• Carbon neutrality is a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing it
• The process of carbon neutrality is needed to achieve net zero emissions
• Carbon neutral and net zero are sometimes used interchangeably

A single tree can absorb 21 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year

The terms carbon neutral and net zero are heard a lot these days, but what’s the difference between them?

In simple terms, the aim of net zero is to reduce all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to a residual amount that can be absorbed or stored in nature – leaving zero emissions in the atmosphere.

Becoming carbon neutral refers to the steps that a business can take to remove the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere to those that it emits. This usually involves investing in carbon sinks that will absorb carbon dioxide, but can also mean investing in renewable energy projects that serve to reduce carbon emissions.

As we emit 35 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year globally, the process of absorbing it through carbon sinks, like forests, oceans and the natural environment is a vital part of government efforts to achieve net-zero emissions.  

Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and then storing it – known as ‘carbon sequestration’ – is also a key part of carbon neutrality. 

Becoming carbon neutral involves big government initiatives, but we can help achieve carbon neutrality through changes we make at home, at work, how we travel, and even through the food we eat, which is what we’re going to cover in more detail below. 

What does carbon neutral mean?

Carbon neutrality is about having a balance between carbon emitted and carbon absorbed or sequestered from the atmosphere. A key part of this is carbon sinks.

A carbon sink is “any system that absorbs more carbon than it emits,” according to the European Parliament.

“The main natural carbon sinks are soil, forests and oceans. According to estimates, natural sinks remove between 9.5 and 11 gigatonnes of CO2 per year.”

The carbon stored in these natural sinks, will eventually be released into the atmosphere through forest fires or logging, which is why the need to reduce carbon emissions is so essential. We won’t reach carbon neutrality without carbon sinks.

What is carbon offsetting?

Carbon offsetting allows businesses to ‘offset’ GHG emissions by investing in projects that reduce, avoid or remove emissions elsewhere.

For example, some businesses have looked to offset their carbon emissions through activities like tree-planting or reforestation.

However, carbon off-setting projects like this are controversial, as they do not reduce carbon emissions at source and without careful management of newly-planted trees or long-term protection of re-forested carbon sinks, any benefits could be quickly wiped out. 

Carbon offsetting also focus on investing in renewable energy, such as wind farms, solar farms and energy efficiency, carbon capture and carbon storage projects.

There are various governmental and NGO regulators, like Gold Standard, that certify carbon offsetting schemes.

In short, carbon offsetting is not a long-term solution and doesn’t replace the need for individuals and organisations to reduce emissions.

How can I become carbon neutral?

To become carbon neutral as an individual, it is important to understand your carbon footprint. 

The main things that contribute to the carbon emissions of individuals are:

• Energy consumption – according to the National Audit Office, heating the UK’s 28 million homes accounted for 18% of all UK GHG emissions in 2021, the most recent year for which data are available. The main source of these emissions is from burning natural gas. 
• Travel – transport accounts for around one-quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions. Domestic flights are the worst, emitting 246g of carbon dioxide per passenger kilometer, followed by diesel cars at 171g and petrol cars at 170g. Walking, cycling or taking public transport is almost always the best way to travel in terms of your carbon footprint.
• Diet – according to a 2018 Oxford University study, over a quarter of global GHG emissions come from food (26%). 

So, what can you do to become more carbon neutral?

Invest in renewable energy to achieve carbon neutrality

By investing in renewable energy (like solar panels), energy efficiency measures (like insulation) and low-carbon technologies (like heat pumps and EVs) you can significantly reduce your carbon emissions.

These are big-ticket items, but you should think of them as investments in your home that will pay you back in the long term, and help futureproof your home and household bills against rising energy costs.

If you are eligible, there are also government funding schemes to help pay for them, check out our guides below:

• Government grants for solar panels
• Government grants for insulation
• Government grants for heat pumps

How can I be carbon neutral when I eat? 

Food production is responsible for more than a quarter of global GHG emissions

Achieving a completely carbon neutral diet would take a lot of commitment, and would be quite difficult if you take into account the packaging and transportation involved in modern food production. However, changing the way you buy or consume food can help cut your carbon footprint.

According to the United Nations, switching to a fully plant-based vegan diet can reduce your annual carbon footprint by up 2.1 tonnes, while becoming a vegetarian can reduce it by up to 1.5 tonnes. The average carbon footprint in the UK is around six tonnes of GHG per person, per year so that’s a significant reduction.

Going fully plant-based is a big lifestyle change, so if you are not prepared to go the whole way, you might consider reducing your meat consumption gradually, through initiatives like Meat Free Monday. Eating more locally-produced seasonal fruit and vegetables will also help reduce your carbon footprint, this means less food miles.

For more help with reducing the carbon footprint of your diet, apps like Floop help you keep track of the carbon footprint of each meal, while Too Good to Go allows businesses to advertise food that would otherwise be thrown away and save it from going to waste. 

Alternatively, you can batch cook food and freeze portions for future meals to have at a later date. This will have both a positive impact on your carbon footprint and your shopping bills. 

Other ways are simple to implement. BBC Good Food recommends not overfilling your kettle, which could not only reduce your overall carbon usage, but will save you £11 a year on your energy bills. 

If you use coffee pods at home, consider compostable coffee pods instead. More than 29,000 pods end up in landfill globally every month and take 500 years to break down, so while they will save you money making them at home, they can be a huge environmental hazard. 

Offsetting carbon while travelling 

A 2018 study found that tourism is responsible for 8% of the world’s GHG emissions, which is why eco-friendly travel is becoming more popular. 

From how you travel, to where you stay and what you eat when you are there, here are three ways to travel more sustainably:

• Consider your travel options – are you able to travel by bus, train or ferry? If flying is the only option, select the most direct flight possible
• Choose your accommodation wisely – look for green-certified hotels or locally-owned accommodation, which has the added benefit of supporting local businesses
• Dine locally – try the local cuisine, which will help both the economy and they will hopefully use locally-sourced ingredients too

Is the industry I work in carbon neutral?

There’s a lot of work that needs to be done in every industry to achieve carbon neutrality, but the past decade has seen many of us wake up to the effects of climate change.  

The seven most-polluting industries in the world are: 

• Energy (fossil fuels)
• Transport
• Manufacturing & construction
• Agriculture
• Food retail
• Fashion
• Technology 

Everyday, we create new innovations to offset the carbon we create. Within energy, the world has made great strides in creating renewable energy innovations, like solar panels, and in transport, we have electric trains, tubes and cars. 

Chances are, the industry you’re in isn’t 100% carbon neutral, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be. Carbon neutrality takes years to achieve, but the best time to start is now.

Summary

• The aim of net zero is to reduce all GHG emissions to a residual amount that can be absorbed or stored in nature – leaving zero emissions in the atmosphere. 
• Becoming carbon neutral refers to steps that a business takes to remove the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere to those that it emits. This usually involves investing in carbon sinks that will absorb carbon dioxide, but can also mean investing in renewable energy projects that reduce carbon emissions.
• Making more sustainable lifestyle choices can help reduce your individual carbon footprint. This could mean switching to renewable energy tariffs, installing solar panels at home, and switching fossil fuel cars and heating systems to EVs and heat pumps.