What Does "Carbon Positive" Mean?

Contrary to its name, being carbon positive is a negative status. It means an organization is still producing a carbon footprint and actively contributing to climate change. This term is often confused with carbon negative (or climate positive), which is the beneficial state of removing more CO2 from the atmosphere than one emits. Understanding this distinction is the first critical step in any credible sustainability journey.

Getting to grips with varying sustainability terms and practices can be a minefield - especially when the key statuses are similarly named. As a result, this can lead to confusion among organizations and its consumers. Here, Novisto investigates what carbon positivity is and its impact.

Is Carbon Positive Good or Bad? (vs. Carbon Negative)

Carbon positive and carbon negative are two distinct concepts related to carbon emissions and their impact on the environment.

Being carbon positive means that an entity (such as a business or individual) is still producing a carbon footprint - even if they are taking steps to reduce their CO2 emissions. It has come to be a negative term, as any business that is classed as carbon positive is contributing to climate change. It also has a tendency to create confusion for consumers, as the phrase has positive connotations, but in practice it isn’t.

On the other hand, being carbon negative means that an entity not only reduces its carbon emissions to net zero or lower but actively removes additional CO2 from the atmosphere. In other words, it has a net-negative impact on the environment in terms of carbon emissions, while being carbon positive does the opposite. This is similar to the related term, climate positive.

What is the Difference Between Carbon Positive and Climate Positive?

Climate positivity focuses on achieving a net-positive impact on the environment with regard to climate change. It encompasses a broader range of climate-altering pollutants and factors, including not only carbon dioxide (CO2) but also other greenhouse gasses and environmental practices that contribute to climate change.

Achieving climate positivity involves implementing a comprehensive set of strategies and initiatives to mitigate and reverse the adverse effects of climate change, which may include:

• carbon emissions reduction
• methane reduction
• reforestation
• adaptation strategies
• addressing various climate change drivers (such as black carbon)

The goal of climate positivity is to contribute to a healthier and more sustainable planet by actively countering the multiple drivers of climate change and promoting environmental resilience.

How Does It Differ From Being Carbon Neutral?

If a business is carbon positive but aiming for carbon neutrality, it means that they are aiming to balance its carbon emissions with an equivalent amount of carbon removal or offsetting. In other words, the net emissions are zero. The business may be taking steps towards carbon neutrality, for example, by reducing emissions from energy use or investing in renewable energy projects.