Companies’ promises to hit net-zero will be put to the test

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It is worryingly easy for bosses to set ambitious goals for which they will not be held accountable when the time comes

is all the rage these days in the executive suite. Leading corporate bosses have been rushing to declare their commitment to “net zero” emissions targets. By this, they imply that their companies will dramatically slash net emissions of greenhouse gases to nothing—or even go negative, possibly by making use of technologies for sucking carbon dioxide out of the air and burying it.

Although climate ambition is to be applauded, such grand claims need to be taken with a very large pinch of salt, for two reasons. The first is that the terms used by many firms to describe their climate ambitions, which range from “net zero” to “carbon neutral” to “zero emission” to “carbon negative”, are slippery indeed. Innocent bystanders may think these commit a company to make massive reductions in its emissions ofs, but that is not necessarily the case.

Though there is plenty of scope for scepticism, there are also two good reasons to believe that companies will start getting serious about their net-zero goals in 2022. First, several advances in global regulation and industrial standard-setting are expected, which should expose the charlatans and boost the champions.

The other reason for hope comes from the bottom up. The Science Based Targets initiative , a voluntary project organised by several environmental and international organisations including the, is pushing companies to make serious net-zero commitments that are consistent with the Paris agreement’s goals on containing global warming. Thei’s boffins will accredit only those companies that adopt high standards of measurement and disclosure of climate data, and have serious carbon-mitigation plans .

 

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...and this is the problem. so much lip service and no action means we are doomed.

Countries and companies alike are facing the same issue.

😭😭😭

this is terrible news

Hi my friends🌷 My goal is to dedicate my life to serving humanity and the environment Let's build a beautiful land together for humanity and nature.❤️

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