Scrutinizing net zero: The legal problems of counting greenhouse gas emissions, removals and offsets together

Net-zero targets play an important role in public and private climate governance. The concept of net zero implies that emissions can be outbalanced by compensatory activities such as greenhouse gas removals offsetting. However, compensation measures are not equivalent terms their impact. benefits currently available practices more uncertain less permanent than the harm caused emissions. From a legal perspective, two problems observed. First, aggregating non-equivalent may violate requirement inventories should accurate. Second, it conflict with principle only effective mitigation count towards emission reduction targets.