* It's when all greenhouse gas emissions are balanced out through methods to remove them from the atmosphere

* This includes carbon storage through forests, farms and underground

* The Paris agreement - a pact to limit global warming to "well below" 2C above pre-industrial levels - calls on nations to achieve net zero emissions in the second half of the century

WHO'S ON BOARD?

* More than 70 countries including the UK and Canada have committed to producing new zero emissions by 2050

* Every Australian state and territory has also committed to the long-term target

WHAT ARE AUSTRALIA'S LEADERS SAYING?

* The Morrison government is committed to the Paris target and keeps its language firmly on net zero by the "second half of the century". It's yet to release a technology-based plan in order to do this

* Federal Labor's target is for net zero by 2050, but the opposition - which could only put the goal in place by winning government at the next election - hasn't explained how it would happen

WHAT IS INDUSTRY DOING?

AGRICULTURE

* National Farmers Federation - sees climate change as an opportunity and a threat. Sector's 2030 Roadmap says it wants to be "trending towards carbon neutrality by 2030". Its 2019 report card gave the sector four out of 10 in progress towards this

* Meat and Livestock Australia - explicit target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Currently working on a 2025 strategic plan

BUSINESS

* Business Council of Australia - supports a transition to net-zero emissions by 2050 and says if Australia can meet its emissions reduction targets without carryover credits it should

* Ai Group - no specific target, but advocates for a successful transition to net-zero emissions for industry

RESOURCES

* BHP - aiming for net-zero by 2050, linking management pay to these targets from 2021, developing a medium-term target this year

OTHER SECTORS

* ANU - aiming to be below net-zero emissions well before 2050

* BANKING - two-thirds have a net-zero by 2050 target or are on a pathway to it for internal operations; only a quarter have net-zero target for investment and lending portfolios

* PROPERTY - almost half listed property companies have commitments to reduce emissions in line with Paris, three in 10 have pledged for net-zero by 2050 and another 14 per cent don't have an explicit goal but are on the pathway

* LOCAL GOVERNMENT - of the nation's 57 largest councils (covering more than half the population) nearly three in five have net-zero by 2050 target for operational emissions and almost two in five have net-zero target or aspiration for community emissions.

Australian Associated Press