碳中和

tànzhōnghé

noun

Meanings

1 carbon neutrality; net-zero carbon emissions

Characters

middle / balanced

harmony / neutral

Examples

中国目标在2060年前实现碳中和。

Zhōngguó mùbiāo zài 2060 nián qián shíxiàn tànzhōnghé.

China aims to reach carbon neutrality before 2060.

这家公司承诺做到运营碳中和。

Zhè jiā gōngsī chéngnuò zuòdào yùnyíng tànzhōnghé.

This company has pledged to make its operations carbon-neutral.

碳中和不仅是环保,也是经济转型。

Tànzhōnghé bùjǐn shì huánbǎo, yě shì jīngjì zhuǎnxíng.

Carbon neutrality isn't just about the environment, it's also economic transformation.

Tips

history

Part of Xi Jinping's '30·60 goals' announced at the UN in September 2020: peak carbon by 2030, neutrality by 2060. Together with 碳达峰 it dominated 2021 policy discourse. Named a 2021 Top 10 buzzword by 《咬文嚼字》.

usage

中和 alone means 'neutralize / neutrality.' So 碳中和 literally reads 'carbon-neutralized'—emissions balanced out by absorption or offsets. Commonly abbreviated together with 碳达峰 as 双碳 (dual-carbon).

Stroke Order

碳 tàn

中 zhōng

和 hé