What net zero means

Net zero means not adding to the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

This is both through reducing these emissions as much as possible and offsetting any that remain.

Greenhouse gases are released when we burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas to provide energy for our homes, factories, and transport. These greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change as they increase the amount of the sun's heat that is trapped in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most significant greenhouse gas but there are others that also contribute to climate change such as methane.

Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible is our main priority to reach net zero. However, not all emissions can be reduced completely due to limitations in technology or very high costs. These remaining emissions will have to be balanced out by doing things that reduce or remove emissions elsewhere by an equivalent amount - known as offsetting. An example of offsetting is planting more trees which take carbon out of the atmosphere.

• For more information on net zero, see the BBC's What is net zero? guide.
• For more information about the causes and effects of climate change, see the BBC's What is climate change? guide.