Frequently asked questions

Carbon neutral usually means emissions for a set period are measured and balanced, often with carbon credits, while net zero means cutting emissions by about 90% or more and balancing only the small remainder with permanent removals. Carbon neutral claims are covered by ISO 14068:2026 (formerly ISO 14068-1:2023); corporate net zero targets are commonly checked against the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard.

For a company or product, no: carbon neutral can be claimed for one year mainly through credits, while net zero requires deep emission cuts over time. At the scale of the whole planet, the IPCC treats carbon neutrality and net zero CO2 emissions as the same idea.

Greenwashing means making a product or company look more environment friendly than it really is, through false, vague, exaggerated or incomplete green claims. In Hindi it can be explained as "jhootha hara dikhava", a false green show.

Misleading environmental claims are prohibited under the CCPA Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing or Misleading Environmental Claims, 2024, issued on 15 October 2024 under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The guidelines require green claims to be specific and backed by credible certification or reliable scientific evidence.

Not under the main standards: the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard requires cutting emissions by 90% to 95% before 2050 and allows removals only for the small residual. The UN expert group report "Integrity Matters" (2022) also says carbon credits should not count toward interim emission reductions.

ISO 14068:2026 is the international standard for achieving and demonstrating carbon neutrality, published by ISO in September 2026; it replaced ISO 14068-1:2023 (November 2023) with the same content. It asks organisations and product makers to measure their footprint, reduce it, and only then offset what remains, following a management plan and communicating claims transparently.

India's net zero target year is 2070, as stated in its reports to the UNFCCC, including the First Biennial Transparency Report (BTR-1). Our article on India's climate targets explains the 2030 and 2035 goals that lead toward it.

Check whether the claim says exactly what is covered, gives a number and a period, names an independent certification or verifier, and explains how much depends on carbon credits. For future targets, look for interim goals and yearly progress reports.