{"id":39542,"date":"2019-06-14T18:00:23","date_gmt":"2019-06-14T17:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=39542"},"modified":"2021-11-02T18:22:05","modified_gmt":"2021-11-02T18:22:05","slug":"countries-net-zero-climate-goal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2019\/06\/14\/countries-net-zero-climate-goal\/","title":{"rendered":"Which countries have a net zero carbon goal?"},"content":{"rendered":"

To end dangerous overheating of the planet, humans need to stop putting more greenhouse gases into the air than we take out.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2015 Paris Agreement set a global goal (couched in legalese) to reach net zero emissions in the second half of the century.<\/p>\n

An increasing number of governments are translating that into national strategy, setting out visions of a carbon-free future. Is it enough? Of course not. But it is becoming the benchmark for leadership on the world stage.<\/p>\n

More than a hundred countries have <\/span>joined an alliance<\/span><\/a> aiming for net zero emissions by 2050. This is aspirational and not always backed by domestic action.<\/span><\/p>\n

To make Climate Home\u2019s list, the target must be included in a winning political manifesto, government statement, policy paper, climate law, submission to the UN or other nationally determined document.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is a handy guide to who is promising what.<\/p>\n

This article was last updated on 27 September 2021. As more and more countries set net zero goals, of varying credibility, we don’t have the resources to track them all here. For an interactive map of the latest targets, try zerotracker.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more on the origins of the net zero target, read our deep dive<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

Argentina\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Target date: <\/span><\/i>2050<\/span><\/p>\n

Status: <\/span><\/i>Submission to the UN<\/span><\/p>\n

Notes: <\/span><\/i>Argentina raised its climate ambition in an <\/span>updated plan to the UN<\/span><\/a> in December 2020, pledging to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and cap its 2030 emissions unconditionally at 359 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), 26% lower than the previous cap of 483 Mt, presented in 2016. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Austria<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/i> 2040<\/p>\n

Status:<\/i> Policy position<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/i> A coalition government sworn in January 2020 promised to pursue<\/a> climate neutrality by 2040 and 100% clean electricity by 2030, underpinned by binding carbon targets. The right wing People’s Party agreed to the goals in partnership with the Green Party.<\/p>\n

\n

Brazil<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/i> 2060<\/p>\n

Status:<\/i> Submission to UN<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/i> Brazil set an “indicative” goal<\/a> of carbon neutrality by 2060 in its updated pledge to the Paris Agreement submitted December 2020. However it was not matched by an increase in ambition before 2030 and came as deforestation reached a 12-year high.<\/p>\n

\n

Bhutan<\/b><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/i> Currently carbon negative and aiming for carbon neutrality as it develops<\/p>\n

Status:<\/i> Pledged towards the Paris Agreement<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/i>\u00a0With a population of less than a million, on low incomes, surrounded by forests and hydropower resources, Bhutan has an easier task balancing the carbon accounts than most. It has some green policies, but economic growth and rising demand for cars is putting upward pressure on emissions.<\/p>\n

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A temple on one of Bhutan’s many mountainsides (Photo: Sanath Adiga)<\/p><\/div>\n

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Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2050<\/p>\n

Status:\u00a0<\/em>In law<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/em> Justin Trudeau narrowly scraped a second term<\/a> as prime minister in October 2019, on a platform that centred climate action. The Canadian Senate adopted the net zero emissions accountability act<\/a> in June 2021, making Canada’s 2050 net zero target official. The law requires successive governments to create carbon targets and a plan to meet them every five years from 2030-2050. Trudeau walked a tightrope on climate and energy policy in his first term, pushing through a carbon tax while defending controversial oil pipelines. He continues to face pressure from leftist and green parties to block the pipelines and from oil-producing provinces to water down climate policy.<\/p>\n

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Tar sands in Alberta, Canada (Photo: Kris Kr\u00fcg\/Flickr<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

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Chile<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2050<\/p>\n

Status: <\/em>Policy position<\/p>\n

Notes:\u00a0<\/em>President Sebastian Pi\u00f1era announced the country’s intention to go carbon neutral in June 2019<\/a>. Santiago was due to host UN climate talks later that year, but cancelled at the last minute<\/a> due to civil unrest. In April 2020 the government reiterated its long term goal as it submitted a strengthened medium term pledge<\/a> to the UN. For starters, the country will close eight of its 28 coal power plants by 2024 and phase out the fuel by 2040.<\/p>\n

\n

China<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:\u00a0<\/i>2060<\/p>\n

Status:\u00a0<\/em>Statement of intent<\/p>\n

Notes: <\/em>President Xi Jinping announced<\/a> to the UN General Assembly on 22 September 2020 that China would strive to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The country would adopt \u201cmore vigorous policies and measures\u201d to peak emissions before 2030, he added. Beijing has prioritised clean energy in its recovery<\/a> from the coronavirus pandemic, but many provinces are building new coal power plants to boost economic growth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Colombia<\/b><\/p>\n

Target date: <\/span><\/i>2050<\/span><\/p>\n

Status: <\/span><\/i>Submission to the UN<\/span><\/p>\n

Notes: <\/span><\/i>By 2030 Colombia will cut its emissions by 51% compared to business as usual, the country pledged in its <\/span>submission to the UN<\/span><\/a> in December 2020. The new target is a huge jump from the <\/span>previous pledge<\/span><\/a>\u00a0which was a 20% of emissions reduction compared with business as usual by 2030. By 2050 the country aims to be carbon neutral. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Costa Rica<\/b><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/i> 2050<\/p>\n

Status:<\/i> Submission to UN<\/p>\n

Notes: <\/i>Previous administrations said Costa Rica would be carbon neutral by 2021, which is… not happening. In February 2019, president Carlos Alvarado Quesada set out a climate policy package<\/a>. A long term strategy<\/a> submitted to the UN in December confirmed net zero emissions as the 2050 goal.\u00a0The country is routinely celebrated for getting nearly all its electricity from renewables – primarily hydropower – but citizens still rely on petrol and diesel to get around. An e-mobility decree adopted in 2018<\/a> aims to change that.<\/p>\n

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Carlos Alvarado Quesada on the campaign trail for the Costa Rican presidency (Photo: Facebook\/Carlos Alvarado Quesada)<\/p><\/div>\n

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Denmark<\/b><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/i> 2050<\/p>\n

Status:<\/i> In law<\/p>\n

Notes:\u00a0<\/i>The government set out plans<\/a> in 2018 to build a “climate-neutral society” by 2050. Its package included a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and support for electric vehicles. Climate change was a major theme<\/a> in June 2019 parliamentary elections and the victorious “red bloc” parties enshrined tougher emissions targets in legislation passed<\/a> six months later.<\/p>\n

\n

European Union<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2050<\/p>\n

Status:<\/em> Submission to UN<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/em> The European Commission is working towards a bloc-wide 2050 net zero emissions target, under a “Green Deal” published in December 2019<\/a>. It was endorsed by the European Council of national leaders the same month, with Poland the only dissenting voice<\/a>, refusing to commit to its implementation. The long term strategy<\/a> was presented to the UN in March 2020.<\/p>\n

\n

Fiji<\/b><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2050<\/p>\n

Status:<\/em> Submission to UN<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/em> As president of Cop23, the UN climate summit in 2017, Fiji made an extra effort to show leadership. In 2018, the Pacific island state submitted a plan<\/a> to the UN with the goal of net zero carbon emissions across all sectors of the economy. Its “very high ambition” scenario even goes carbon negative, but this is contingent on new technologies and international support. In December 2020, Fiji said it aims to slash emissions <\/span>30% by 2030<\/span><\/a>, compared to 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A Fijian welcome ceremony at the 2017 UN climate talks (Photo: UNFCCC)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Finland<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2035<\/p>\n

Status:\u00a0<\/em>Coalition agreement<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/em> Five political parties agreed in June 2019<\/a> to strengthen the country’s climate law, as part of negotiations to form a government. The target is expected to require curbs on industrial logging and a phaseout of peat burning for power generation.<\/p>\n

\n

France<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2050<\/p>\n

Status:<\/em> In law<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/em> French lawmakers voted a net zero target into law<\/a> on 27 June 2019, the same day as the UK. Other parts of the government’s proposed climate and energy package remained to be agreed. Controversially, it proposed postponing nuclear power plant closures. In its first report in June, the newly established High Council for the Climate advised France must triple the pace of emissions reductions<\/a> to meet the carbon neutrality goal.<\/p>\n

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Germany<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2045<\/p>\n

Status:\u00a0<\/em>In law<\/p>\n

Notes:\u00a0<\/em>Germany enshrined its 2045 net zero target in law in June 2021, after raising its climate ambition following a landmark court ruling<\/a> the previous month. The cabinet adopted a 65% emissions reduction by 2030, 85-90% by 2040 and net zero emissions by 2045, all compared to 1990 levels. The previous targets were 55% by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050. To achieve the goals, analysts say Germany must phase out coal by 2030, speed up the transition to electric mobility and increase the carbon price on transport and heating fuel.<\/p>\n

\n

Grenada\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Target date: <\/span><\/i>2050<\/span><\/p>\n

Status: <\/span><\/i>Submission to the UN<\/span><\/p>\n

Notes: <\/span><\/i>The small island nation has committed to reducing its emissions by 40% by 2030, compared to 2010 levels, and <\/span>net zero by 2050<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Hungary<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2050<\/p>\n

Status:<\/em> In law<\/p>\n

Notes: <\/em>Hungary committed to climate neutrality by 2050 in a 3-page climate law passed in June 2020<\/a>. That was not backed up by a strengthened 2030 emissions-cutting target, however, putting off the heavy lifting to next decade. The country is set to close its last coal power plant by 2025 and build new nuclear capacity, with Russia’s help.<\/p>\n

\n

Iceland<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2040<\/p>\n

Status:<\/em> Policy position<\/p>\n

Notes:\u00a0<\/em>The strategy<\/a> unveiled in 2018 focuses on phasing fossil fuels out of the transport sector, tree-planting and restoring wetlands. Iceland already has virtually carbon-free electricity and heating from geothermal and hydroelectric sources.<\/p>\n

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Krafla geothermal power plant in Iceland (Photo: \u00c1sgeir Eggertsson<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

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Ireland<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2050<\/p>\n

Status:<\/em> In law<\/p>\n

Notes:\u00a0<\/em>Ireland’s coalition government passed its climate law in July 2021<\/a> that enshrines emissions reduction targets in law and puts the country on a path to carbon neutrality by 2050. The government agreed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by an average 7% per year<\/a> and 51% between 2018 and 2030,\u00a0<\/span>in line with Paris Agreement commitments. Sectors such as transport and agriculture will require significant reform if they are to halve their emissions by 2030.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Japan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2050<\/span><\/p>\n

Status:<\/em> In law<\/span><\/p>\n

Notes: <\/em>Japan enshrined its 2050 net zero target<\/a> in law in May 2021.\u00a0Japan is the world\u2019s fifth-largest emitter and relies on coal for a third of its electricity generation. The net zero target requires significant investment in renewables and a complete overhaul of the country\u2019s existing climate strategy which focuses heavily on coal power.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Maldives<\/b><\/p>\n

Target date: <\/span><\/i>2030<\/span><\/p>\n

Status: <\/span><\/i>Submission to the UN<\/span><\/p>\n

Notes: <\/span><\/i>The Maldives is aiming for <\/span>net zero emissions by 2030<\/span><\/a>, but this ambitious target is only attainable with significant financial support. The small, low-lying island state is already suffering severe climate impacts such as storm surges and coastal erosion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Laos<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2050<\/p>\n

Status:<\/em> Submission to the UN<\/p>\n

Notes:\u00a0<\/em>In its submission to the UN<\/a> in May 2021, Laos said it is aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and reduce emissions by 60% from business as usual by 2030 – around 62Mt CO2. Agriculture is the biggest driver of emissions in the southeast Asian nation. Mitigation measures include expanding forest cover to 70% of land area by 2030 and rapidly ramping up renewables.<\/p>\n

\n

Marshall Islands<\/strong><\/p>\n

Target date:<\/em> 2050<\/p>\n

Status:<\/em> Pledged towards the Paris Agreement<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/em> The low-lying island nation is acutely vulnerable to sea level rise and keen to set an example on decarbonisation. Its updated submission<\/a> to the UN in September 2018 set out an aspiration to reach net zero emissions by 2050, albeit without concrete policies to get all the way. Depending on the availability of international support, the plan identified measures to cut emissions 56-87% from 2010 levels.<\/p>\n