第1647期:Achieving net zero

We are all aware of the effect greenhouse gas emissions is having on our planet and the efforts needed to tackle climate change. Most of us are doing our bit to minimise our impact on the environment, but despite our collective effort, are we doing enough to achieve net zero by 2050?

我们都知道温室气体排放对我们星球的影响以及应对气候变化所需的努力。我们大多数人都在尽自己的一份力量来尽量减少我们对环境的影响，但尽管我们共同努力，我们是否正在为到 2050 年实现净零排放做足够的事情？

Net zero means not adding to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Many countries are doing their bit by changing how they generate and use power, thereby cutting carbon dioxide output. And they announced what further steps they were going to take at the recent COP26 summit in Glasgow.

净零意味着不增加大气中的温室气体量。许多国家正在通过改变他们生产和使用电力的方式来尽自己的一份力量，从而减少二氧化碳的排放。他们在最近于格拉斯哥举行的 COP26 峰会上宣布了将采取的进一步措施。

In the UK, the government has been setting out its plans to achieve net zero by 2050. It’s recently announced an end date for the sale of gas boilers, which are used for heating homes. The idea is to replace them with heat pumps. It’s offering homeowners grants of up to £5,000 to get them installed. Another initiative in the UK is a big push towards electric vehicles. There are to be financial incentives for car manufacturers, and more charging points are to be installed in streets. And there’s to be a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

在英国，政府一直在制定到 2050 年实现净零排放的计划。最近宣布了用于家庭取暖的燃气锅炉的销售截止日期。这个想法是用热泵代替它们。它为房主提供高达 5,000 英镑的安装补助金。英国的另一项举措是大力推动电动汽车。将为汽车制造商提供财政激励，并在街道上安装更多充电点。到 2030 年将禁止销售新的汽油和柴油汽车。

But not all emissions can be reduced to zero, so those remaining will have to be compensated for, or offset. One way to do this is to plant thousands of trees, which are good at absorbing carbon dioxide. The UK government has pledged to plant 30,000 hectares of trees a year by 2025. There are other ideas too, but what’s certain is this will cost money. The CBI’s Tom Thackray told the BBC that “those costs have to be weighed up against the cost of inaction.”

但并非所有排放都可以减少到零，因此必须对剩余的排放进行补偿或抵消。一种方法是种植数千棵擅长吸收二氧化碳的树木。英国政府已承诺到 2025 年每年种植 30,000 公顷树木。还有其他想法，但可以肯定的是，这需要花钱。 CBI 的 Tom Thackray 告诉 BBC，“必须权衡这些成本与不作为的成本。”

Whether the UK, or anyone else, reaches net zero remains to be seen. And there’s some doubt about how this can be accurately measured anyway. But it’s generally recognised that a global effort is needed to tackle climate change. Therefore, net zero targets only make sense if every other country is moving in the same direction.

英国或其他任何国家是否达到净零排放还有待观察。无论如何，如何准确测量这一点存在一些疑问。但人们普遍认为，应对气候变化需要全球努力。因此，净零目标只有在所有其他国家都朝着同一方向前进时才有意义。

词汇表

emission 排放
climate change 气候变化
do one’s bit 尽一份力
net zero “净零排放”（温室气体净排放为零）
greenhouse gas 温室气体
carbon dioxide 二氧化碳
gas boiler 燃气锅炉
heat pump 热泵
electric vehicle 电动车辆，电动汽车
incentive 鼓励，激励
offset 抵消
inaction 不作为，不行动
global effort 全球携手努力
target 目标