A bonus episode for you this week!

With science demanding that in order to stay below 1.5C we must reach “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the absolute latest, how do we get there?

We know we can’t keep emitting as we currently are and just offset to balance it out. We need radical cuts and that means a complete reshaping of the global economy and most business models. Arguably, anyone could shape their net zero goals differently, unless we can compare these (literally) hundreds of commitments that have been made - and hundreds, even thousands more that will continue to come.

So here’s a question - what does :net zero” actually mean? Is it the same as carbon neutrality, or any of the other terms we hear and read about?

This week, Tom Rivett-Carnac dials up for a quick chat with Dr. Thomas Hale, Associate Professor in Global Public Policy at Oxford University. He’s part of a team that has just released a report - eci.edcdn.com/reports/ECIU-Oxford_Taking_Stock.pdf?mtime=20210323005817&focal=none">Taking Stock: A global assessment of net zero targetseci.edcdn.com/reports/ECIU-Oxford_Taking_Stock.pdf?mtime=20210323005817&focal=none">. The report is the first quantitative analysis of the robustness of the different types of net zero targets and provides a baseline against which we can compare country, city, or company level net zero commitments.

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Heard something about climate change you don’t understand, or a term that isn't clear to you? Tweet us @GlobalOptimism starting your question with 'What the Hale', tell us what you want to know and we'll get the answer directly from Dr. Thomas Hale for you!

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Dr. Thomas Hale

Associate Professor of Global Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford

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Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford

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