Law and Governance of Net Zero

Abstract

‘Net Zero’ is a concept that has exploded in academic and policy discourse over the past eight years in line with the growing scientific consensus that Net Zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be achieved by approximately 2050 to have a chance of achieving a safe level of global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Closely related to the concept of carbon neutrality, Net Zero requires significant reductions in GHG emissions across all sectors, combined with the deployment of technologies to remove CO2 and other GHGs from the atmosphere. Yet, there has been little agreement in the policy world what Net Zero really means in practice and who should be responsible for achieving it. Governments are increasingly codifying Net Zero targets in law, but pathways to achieving Net Zero remain contested and critiqued. Corporations are rapidly committing to achieving Net Zero, but some prioritize GHG emissions reductions, while others rely on carbon offsets that may lack credibility. Standard-setting bodies and international organizations are starting to produce guidance for governments and non-state actors on credible Net Zero commitments and regulations, but there remain knowledge gaps and inconsistencies in Net Zero governance at all levels. Meanwhile, impatient activists are resorting to litigation to force states to take action towards their Net Zero goals. This panel brings together a series of papers on the law and governance of ‘Net Zero’ to advance understanding of this particular concept within global and multi-level climate governance. Papers address theoretical and empirical questions of achieving Global Net Zero through a patch work of state and non-state commitments. Scholars on the panel investigate what Net Zero means from a legal and political perspective, and how it applies to different types of actors, discussing the theoretical implications for environmental politics research. The panel considers primarily different types of state governance mechanisms and the timelines and bindingness of Net Zero emissions commitments. Papers will provide insights into the different varieties of legal and governance mechanisms that may facilitate or hinder the transition to global Net Zero emissions, highlighting possibilities, opportunities, and risks.

Title	Details
Paper tiger or useful governance tool? The role of long-term strategies in climate governance	View Paper Details
Pathways to credible net zero governance: translation of political commitments into domestic laws	View Paper Details
The Aspirational Politics of Global Net Zero	View Paper Details
Regulatory and litigation pathways to reach net zero	View Paper Details