Reaching Net Zero carbon emissions is important because it is necessary to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by mid century, which is what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sees as the limit needed to prevent serious damage to the planet’s ecosystems and to limit the most disruptive effects of global warming. The 1.5°C target and the goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions was set in 2015 by the Paris Agreement, a legally binding treaty, signed by 196 countries. To limit global warming to no more than 1.5°C, emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050.