Net zero and climate action have become crucial strategies for combating greenhouse gas emissions and limiting rising global temperatures, affecting various aspects of our society and culture. Let’s explore key terms that provide insight into the diverse aspects and impacts of climate change.

The Paris Climate Agreement is a binding treaty adopted by 196 countries to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius. To meet these goals, greenhouse gas emissions should peak by 2025 and achieve net zero in the second half of the century. The IPCC suggests a 45% reduction in global CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to 2010 levels, with net-zero emissions by the middle of the century.

Net zero means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests for instance. Transitioning to net zero requires a complete transformation of energy, transportation, production, and consumption systems, impacting societal norms and cultural practices.

Mitigation, which involves reducing or preventing greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation, which focuses on reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, both require changes in cultural attitudes, governmental policies, and individual behaviors.

Resilience, the ability to anticipate and manage climatic events and recover from their impacts, involves societal, economic, and environmental aspects. Building resilience necessitates cultural shifts and the adoption of sustainable practices to lessen damage and protect societal well-being.

A carbon footprint is a measure of the greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere by a particular person, organization, product, or activity. Reducing carbon footprints requires cultural shifts towards more sustainable choices and behaviors.

Climate justice is a term used for framing global warming as an ethical and political issue, rather than one that is purely environmental or physical in nature. It calls for equitable solutions and acknowledges the cultural dimensions of climate impacts, particularly how vulnerable communities are unequally affected.