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What is Net Zero?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines Net Zero as follow:

“Net Zero emissions are achieved when anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere are balanced by anthropogenic removals over a specified period. Where multiple greenhouse gases are involved, the quantification of net zero emissions depends on the climate metric chosen to compare emissions of different gases (such as global warming potential, global temperature change potential, and others, as well as the chosen time horizon).”

Put simply:

Net Zero refers to achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) we emit with the amount we remove.

Note: The term “Net Zero emissions” covers all greenhouse gases. When only CO₂emissions are measured, the term “Net Zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions” should be used.

What does this mean in practice?

To reach Net Zero, organisations will have to reduce emissions drastically (in grey in the graph below), aiming to reduce them to zero, or as close to zero as possible. Residual emissions i.e. remaining emissions that cannot be reduced due to economic or technological constraints (in blue in the graph) will have to be neutralised.

Neutralising residual emissions means removing and storing carbon permanently, either through technology or through natural solutions such as restoring carbon sinks (in green in the graph). Carbon offsetting should be minimised/used as last resort.

On a global scale, only a small proportion of emissions can be removed from the atmosphere and permanently stored and the solutions available currently are very expensive. The key focus should therefore be on avoiding and reducing emissions in the first place.

Source: World Research Institute

What does this mean for the PPA Action Net Zero Pathway?

With the launch of the PPA Action Net Zero Pathway, PPA and signatories within the Publishing industry aim to achieve net zero across the sector by 2050.

This is in line with recommendations from the IPCC and in alignment with other initiatives such as the UN Race to Zero Campaign and the Science Based Target Initiative.

Given that most emissions in the publishing sector are carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, these should be the key focus for signatories of the PPA Action Net Zero Pathway. However, given that all greenhouse gases (GHG) contribute to climate change and that other GHG have a greater Global Warming Potential (GWP), signatories emitting other greenhouse gases in addition to CO₂ should monitor and include those into their GHG inventory whenever possible.

For more information about Net Zero and the PPA Action Net Zero Pathway please consult the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Introduction to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol

provides standards, guidance, tools and training for business and government to measure and manage climate-warming emissions.
GHG Protocol standards are the most widely used accounting tools to measure, manage and report on greenhouse gas emissions
In 2016, 92% of Fortune 500 companies responding to the CDP used GHG Protocol directly or indirectly through a program based on GHG Protocol.
It was launched by WRI and WBCSD in 1998

How is this relevant to the PPA Action Net Zero Pathway?

The Greenhouse Gas protocol provides a good framework for organisations to measure and report on their greenhouse gas emissions, in a consistent and credible way. The PPA Action Net Zero Pathway requires signatories to measure emissions in compliance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) Corporate Standard, Scope 2 guidance and Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard.

The PPA will develop guidance and simple measuring tools based on these GHGP’s standards but tailored to the publishing industry. This is to ensure publishers measure and report emissions in a consistent and standardised way using a scientifically sound methodology.

Introduction to Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions

To measure greenhouse gas emissions, you first need to:

identify the emissions associated with your operations and your value chain;
classify these emissions as direct or indirect;
categorise them under the right “Scope”

All direct emissions are Scope 1 emissions.

Direct emissions (i.e. Scope 1 emissions) are emissions from sources owned or controlled by the reporting company.

Scope 1 emissions include those emitted by the company facilities.

In the example of a factory, the Scope 1 emissions include the direct emissions resulting from the production process occurring at that factory.

Office-based organisations may not have any direct GHG emissions except in cases where they own or operate a combustion device (such as a boiler), or refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment.

Scope 1 emissions also include emissions produced by company owned vehicles.

Indirect emissions: emissions that are the consequence of the activities of the reporting company but occur at sources owned or controlled by another company.

Indirect emissions can be Scope 2 emissions or Scope 3 emissions.

Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling for own use.

These are emissions produced by power plants to make e.g. electricity.

Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect emissions.

They are 15 categories of Scope 3 emissions and these cover emissions produced by the reporting organisation’s upstream value chain (e.g. suppliers and distribution partners) as well as its downstream value chain (e.g. customers and distribution partners).

Source: Greenhouse Gas Protocol

The visual below, from The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, summarises the categories included under Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3. Each of these categories are explained under the following section of the guidance document:

Where do I start? A step-by-step guide

To measure greenhouse gas emissions, you first need to:

identify the emissions associated with your operations and your value chain;
classify these emissions as direct or indirect;
categorise them under the right “Scope”