NOT ZERO: How ‘net zero’ targets disguise climate inaction

A joint technical briefing by several climate justice organisations arguing that 'net zero' targets are used by governments and corporations to disguise climate inaction, greenwash business-as-usual, and shift the burden of carbon sequestration to the global South.

• The term 'net zero' is employed by major polluting governments and corporations as a façade to avoid responsibility and mask inaction or harmful activities. These pledges often rely on distant targets that require no immediate action and depend on technologies that are unlikely to function at scale and may cause significant harm.
• Current 'net zero' plans are physically unsustainable because there is insufficient land globally to support the combined requirements for offsets and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) tree plantations. These targets allow greenhouse gas emissions to continue rising based on the hope that future technologies or plantations can remove carbon dioxide from the air.
• The reliance on land and tree plantations in global South countries for carbon sequestration constitutes a form of 'carbon colonialism,' as these regions contributed little to the climate crisis. The briefing argues that targets such as 'Net zero by 2050' are insufficient and that plans should instead focus on 'Real Zero' through radical emissions reductions.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). NOT ZERO: How ‘net zero’ targets disguise climate inaction. https://www.foei.org/publication/not-zero-climate-inaction-briefing/

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. NOT ZERO: How ‘net zero’ targets disguise climate inaction. n.d. https://www.foei.org/publication/not-zero-climate-inaction-briefing/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=NOT ZERO: How ‘net zero’ targets disguise climate inaction |url=https://www.foei.org/publication/not-zero-climate-inaction-briefing/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternationalndnot, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{NOT ZERO: How ‘net zero’ targets disguise climate inaction}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/publication/not-zero-climate-inaction-briefing/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }