What does it mean to become carbon neutral? Why set this goal?

There's one thing you've surely noticed: when it comes to sustainability, there are some recurring topics that never go by the wayside. Not least because they are the ones that really need updating for. And since carbon neutrality is one of the top-ranked topics, it's worth taking a good look at the current situation.

But let's start at the beginning:

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What is meant by carbon neutrality?

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CARBON NEUTRALITY

According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) - an international body set up by the United Nations to study climate change - carbon neutrality occurs when there is a balance between the_CO2 emitted into the atmosphere and the_CO2 reduced or captured by the atmosphere over a given period of time. 

At Up2You we like to put it more simply: achieving carbon neutrality means having a neutral impact on global warming.

This raises the question of what it actually means to strive for zero emissions. This is the case of Copenhagen which, through its CPH Climate Plan, intends to become the world's first carbon neutral capital by 2025, implementing a series of actions for infrastructural and social development that mitigate the effects on the environment.

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Why is it important to offset carbon dioxide (_CO2) and all kinds of greenhouse gases?

A premise is needed here because, as climate conditions change, the Paris Agreement-signed in 2015 by the European Union along with 196 other countries- calls for the achievement of zero net emissions by 2050 and the containment of global warming within the safe threshold of 1.5°C.

With such an ambitious goal in mind, the need arose for institutions and companies to start a path towards carbon neutrality, focusing on what is the crucial variable for the preservation of the ecosystem: anthropogenic greenhouse gases. 

In emissions analysis, all greenhouse gases are converted to CO₂ equivalent, to simplify complex calculations and because it is actually the predominant type of gas. Carbon dioxide itself plays a key role in the atmosphere, regulating temperature and allowing life to flourish on Earth. However, human-induced over-accumulation of_CO2 has contributed to a rise in global average temperature that has led to the consequences we unfortunately see, including droughts, floods and loss of biodiversity. 

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What does it mean to become carbon neutral?

Being a carbon neutral company means having a neutral impact on the Planet, producing zero net_CO2 emissions. Said like that might sound like a small thing, and although the goal we have at Up2You is precisely to facilitate the transition to sustainability, we want to be honest: the path to decarbonization is not easy.

However, many of the world's largest companies - more than 330 out of the Fortune Global 500 - have already started to implement climate strategies to reduce their carbon footprint and that of the entire supply chain.

Major corporations such as Apple, Gucci, Netflix, Nestlé and Microsoft, to name but a few, have not only adopted corporate social responsibility plans but have also set carbon neutrality targets that have progressively affected the whole chain of smaller companies linked to them, triggering a virtuous circle with a positive balance for the environment. 

Considering that there is no activity in the world that does not generate CO₂ emissions and that the business areas affected by the issue of carbon neutrality are practically infinite, the climate journey of an individual company, although complex, can count on a path regulated by international standards that includes 4 fundamental actions:

1. Calculating your own emissions
   The first step toward carbon neutrality is to calculate the CO₂ produced by work activities. It is necessary to identify between direct emissions that result from owned or controlled sources and indirect emissions that result from internal or external energy consumption such as purchased electricity, heating, cooling, and steam consumed by an organization.

2. ‍Reduction
   After estimating its carbon footprint, the company is asked to set up a strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It then proceeds with the implementation of energy-efficient and "social" practices, the latter geared toward involving workers, incentivizing them to adopt conscious daily measures that can range from consuming less energy, to choosing sustainable and/or shared mobility.

3. Neutralization
   Among different activities, there are some that produce non-reducible emissions: let alone even breathing emits_CO2! These, however, can be neutralized by going to fund certified projects that balance the environmental impact, such as large-scale reforestation, preservation of ecosystems capable of absorbing_CO2, technological solutions to capture_CO2 from the atmosphere, and other solutions that all aim to absorb carbon dioxide. Moreover, reduction activity alone requires timeframes that we can no longer afford to wait for, while flanking synergistically with neutralization activity is the most timely strategy for limiting the effects of climate change.

4. ‍Communication
   ‍Committingto a path toward carbon neutrality allows you to benefit from multiple advantages in terms of economics and brand reputation. Being able to communicate the adoption of a climate strategy and the subsequent attainment of, in addition to attracting new talent attracted by the company's sensitivity to green issues, is an essential lever for gaining a greater competitive advantage in the market, which, today, tends to favor realities that focus on the value of sustainability. Not least, anticipating change becomes decisive in capturing the attention of possible investors ready to support all those companies that, thanks to the transition to decarbonization, inspire confidence and turn out to be solid in the eyes of stakeholders.