Introduction

This introductory chapter explains what net zero is, why we need to act, the context of net zero with the Paris Agreement and the Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and how to achieve net zero involving operationalisation in varied socio-political and economic spheres. It describes the background of this edited book, Research Journeys to Net Zero: Current and Future Leaders, and explains the five themes that emerged from 16 contributions as: (i) science and engineering, (ii) design and innovation, (iii) energy sector, (iv) transportation sector, and (v) fashion and service sectors, which became five parts in this edited book. The chapter includes a summary of each chapter in five parts.