… neutral". Net-zero is the point where the same volume of all greenhouse gases is being emitted as is being absorbed through offsetting techniques like forestry. By 2045 Fife will be: climate friendly, having transformed the economy, infrastructure, land use and energy system to decarbonise how we live; climate ready, with plans and projects to increase the resilience of Fife communities…
… is decarbonising its society and economy so that our way of life does not jeopardise the stability of the climate or compromise the life chances of future generations or the living planet on which society depends. Becoming climate friendly will mean aligning Fife with the net zero carbon future set out in the Scottish Government’s targets for decarbonisation; which are world-leading in their ambition6…
…. Fife has already met existing Government targets for lowering its carbon emissions by 42% by 2020. It is Fife Council’s ambition to work with local and national partners to achieve the latest climate change targets, requiring Fife to achieve a net zero emissions target by 2045. Meaning that Fife’s contribution to climate change will end within a generation. The amendments also require Scotland…
… resilience to the impacts of climate change – being climate ready is also called climate change adaptation. Climate Fife recognises that our society and infrastructure is designed for a historic climate that no longer exists, and that 6 https://www.gov.scot/policies/climate-change/ 7 The terms carbon neutral and net-zero are often used interchangeably…
… but there are differences. The term net-zero includes a wider basket of greenhouse gases (not just CO2 and methane) but also nitrous oxide, which is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities as well as from the combustion of fossil fuels. Simply being carbon neutral would not stop global warming because these other gases are also harmful to the atmosphere. Perhaps an even better term would be "climate…