[Study] Zero emission targets as long-term global goals for climate protection

“Net zero emissions targets are a useful focal point for policy, linking a global temperature target and socio-economic pathways to a necessary long-term limit on cumulative CO2 emissions.

“Net zero emission targets (including full decarbonization) are useful focal points (Jaeger and Jaeger 2010) for policy, providing a link between technologically feasible socio-economic pathways and a long-term limit on cumulative CO2 emissions. From a climate point of view, capped cumulative CO2 emissions remain the highest priority for temperature stabilization. Emissions in every year contribute to this CO2 budget, and delaying mitigation over the coming decades increases the pressure to achieve net zero CO2 emissions earlier in this century. Once global net zero CO2 emissions are achieved, also the cumulative CO2 budget will be effectively capped.”

Citation: Rogelj, Joeri, Michiel Schaeffer, Malte Meinshausen, Reto Knutti, Joseph Alcamo, Keywan Riahi, and William Hare. “Zero emission targets as long-term global goals for climate protection.” Environmental Research Letters 10, no. 10 (2015): 105007.