Net zero and the science
Net zero is a policy goal, not a scientific finding. It is worth keeping the two apart. You can question the cost or design of net zero and still accept the physical evidence that warming is real and mainly human-caused.
What net zero means
Net zero means cutting greenhouse gas emissions as far as possible and balancing what remains by removing an equal amount from the atmosphere, so the net addition is zero. It is a target chosen by governments, with many possible routes and costs.
Policy is not the same as physics
Whether you support a particular net zero plan is a question about economics, fairness and trade-offs. Whether the planet is warming because of human emissions is a question about measurements and physics. Disliking a policy is not evidence that the science is wrong, and accepting the science does not commit you to any single policy.
Honest debate
This site is about the evidence, not about telling you which policies to back. A reasonable person can accept that warming is real and human-caused, and still argue hard about the best response.
The argument that net zero is too costly is addressed directly in common arguments.
Frequently asked
Cutting greenhouse gas emissions as far as possible and balancing the rest with removals, so the net amount added to the atmosphere is zero.
No. The evidence that warming is real and human-caused is separate from any particular policy. You can accept the science and still debate the best response.