Everyone is talking carbon neutrality, but the term can be ambiguous and even misleading.

Some corporations have already been accused of using future zero-emission targets as a marketing ploy or a masking tool for their current environmental impact. Immediate, direct carbon reduction is what is needed, with responsible, legitimate carbon offsetting playing a crucial role in neutralizing hard-to-eliminate emissions, complementing direct reduction efforts.

In short, a more nuanced approach to climate change mitigation is needed, where transparency in immediate carbon reduction efforts is paramount.

Initiatives that prioritize cutting emissions at source and contributing to a sustainable economic transition are needed more urgently than targets to become carbon neutral in the future – targets that depend largely on new technologies not yet proven at scale.

It’s time to commit to more rigorous carbon management strategies, including robust measurement and verification, investment in technological innovation, careful management of economic and social impacts, international cooperation, and alignment with sustainable development goals.

Carbon reduction and legitimate offsetting should be seen as primary strategies. They offer a more realistic path towards mitigating the most severe impacts of climate change. Only a comprehensive strategy can hope to make meaningful progress in the fight against climate change.

Carbon neutrality is an admirable goal, but the complexities and uncertainties surrounding it demand a shift in focus. What definitive steps is your organization taking towards genuine climate action? Might it be time to rethink on focusing on future net-zero goals in favour of actions that could more effectively reduce your carbon footprint in the short term?