Net Zero
D6. Decarbonization, emissions and alternative fuelsDefinition
State where anthropogenic GHG emissions are balanced by removals.
Net zero is the state where remaining anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions are balanced by removals, so the net addition to the atmosphere is zero. The IMO’s 2023 strategy targets net-zero emissions from international shipping by or around 2050, a tighter goal than absolute zero because it allows a residual offset by removals where elimination is hardest. Reaching it for shipping rests on switching the fleet to low- and zero-carbon fuels rather than on buying open-ended offsets.