Thirty countries around the world have now pledged to go carbon neutral.

This morning, China became the latest developed nation to commit to reaching net-zero emissions, vowing to reduce its footprint to zero by 2060.

Achieving carbon neutrality means countries balance the amount of carbon dioxide they put into the atmosphere with the amount of emissions they remove through natural and artificial means.

The global push has been in place since 2015, when 195 countries signed the Paris Climate Agreement, with the aim of preventing an increase in global temperatures by two degrees.

But while China, Europe and a number of other developed and developing countries have committed to reaching net-zero emissions, Australia and the United States are among the major polluters that have not. 

Read the full article on the SBS News website, featuring commentary by Prof Will Steffen