Meanings
alternative carbon-neutral
- not comparableHaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account.
We must accelerate the switch from coal and oil to clean, carbon-neutral power. Such a shift will bring new jobs and growth.
2003 January 23, Claude Martin, “Weather in Davos : Let's now get serious about warming”, in The International Herald Tribune, →ISSN1 more example
The hotel plans to make the property "carbon neutral" — whereby carbon emissions are offset by tree planting or other green schemes, and the hotel car runs on filtered, used vegetable oil. Or will, when the promised supply arrives.
2004 February 6, Katherine Tanko, “Luxury in an 'eco' world”, in International Herald Tribune, →ISSN
Origin
In mainstream usage since the early 2000s.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan neutre en carboni
- neutre en carbonihaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
Finnish hiilineutraali
- hiilineutraalihaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
French carboneutre
- carboneutrehaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
German klimaneutral, CO₂-neutral
- klimaneutralhaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
- CO₂-neutralhaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
Hungarian szénsemleges
- szénsemlegeshaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
Korean 탄소 중립
- 탄소 중립 (tanso jungnip)having an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
Māori tukuwaro-kore
- tukuwaro-korehaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
Portuguese neutro em carbono, carbono neutro
- neutro em carbonohaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
- carbono neutrohaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
Spanish neutro en carbono, carbono neutro
- neutro en carbonohaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
- carbono neutrohaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
Swedish koldioxidneutral
- koldioxidneutralhaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
Turkish karbon nötr
- karbon nötrhaving an overall zero carbon footprint after carbon emissions trading has been taken into account
Cite this entry
carbon neutral. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carbon%20neutral
“carbon neutral.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carbon%20neutral. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “carbon neutral,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carbon%20neutral.
Source: carbon neutral on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.