net-zero
adjective
net-ze·ro
ˈnet-ˈzē-(ˌ)rō 
-ˈzir-(ˌ)ō
: resulting in neither a surplus nor a deficit of something specified when gains and losses are added together
net-zero carbon emissions
The General Services Administration has sealed an unusual deal to guarantee achievement of net-zero energy consumption in a federal facility …—
Charles S. Clark
Charles S. Clark
especially, of buildings
: producing enough energy (as through solar panels or passive heating) to offset any energy consumed
By 2020 all new homes built in California will have to be net-zero buildings that produce enough power to offset all their energy needs … —K. Kaufmann
K. Kaufmann Another affordable, net-zero house is under construction in North Minneapolis, and a third is in development at the school. —John Cary
John Cary Examples of net-zero in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The company is now committed to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and hitting net-zero by 2050.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Coal plants have scaled down production or shut down altogether as the market transitions to green energy, hastened by laws in Maryland and Virginia mandating net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and, for several other states in the region, by 2050.
—Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
That uptick will not only set AI advancement back, but also tech and utility companies looking to meet their net-zero emissions goals.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024
The solar panel project is the latest sustainability effort from the college, which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2038.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Solving climate change is a numbers game, and the goal — as defined by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — is to reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 2050.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024
The plan’s bold targets include planting a million trees by 2030, phasing out all internal-combustion vehicles by 2040, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2024
The country aims to zero out its carbon emissions by 2060, while Aramco’s net-zero target date is 2050.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
The plan notably includes a pathway to divestment from certain funds that fail to develop and commit to viable net-zero emissions plans, although the details of how that mechanism would work are not yet finalized.
—Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Coal plants have scaled down production or shut down altogether as the market transitions to green energy, hastened by laws in Maryland and Virginia mandating net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and, for several other states in the region, by 2050.
—Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
That uptick will not only set AI advancement back, but also tech and utility companies looking to meet their net-zero emissions goals.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024
The solar panel project is the latest sustainability effort from the college, which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2038.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Solving climate change is a numbers game, and the goal — as defined by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — is to reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 2050.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024
The plan’s bold targets include planting a million trees by 2030, phasing out all internal-combustion vehicles by 2040, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2024
The country aims to zero out its carbon emissions by 2060, while Aramco’s net-zero target date is 2050.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
The plan notably includes a pathway to divestment from certain funds that fail to develop and commit to viable net-zero emissions plans, although the details of how that mechanism would work are not yet finalized.
—Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'net-zero.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near net-zero
Cite this Entry
“Net-zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/net-zero. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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