Carbon Neutrality

Our meeting this morning was on Costa Rica's plan to become the first carbon neutral nation by the year 2021, the 200th anniversary of their independence from Spain.

What is carbon neutrality?

DECC published a definition of carbon neutrality in October 2009:

‘Carbon neutral means that – through a transparent process of calculating emissions, reducing those emissions and offsetting residual emissions – net carbon emissions equal zero’.

In brief, Costa Rica has set a goal to counter their production of harmful emissions with actions that will result in a zero balance. So rain forest preservation or replanting would offset the burning of fossil fuels (in a known amount).

I invite my students to research the concept on their own! This is an upcoming discussion topic when I return!