Toolkit to Help Us Identify Credible Net Zero Commitments

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by

James Walters
in

Here we look at; Why Net Zero Matters; The Experts’ Take on Net Zero; and Relevant Questions About Net Zero Commitments. This is part of our series on Living Sustainably.

The world has many pressing problems to face, and climate change is one of them. To maintain our planet’s habitable environment, getting to a state of net zero emissions is vital, at the absolute latest, by 2050, or even sooner.

Net zero at a global level means balancing the amount of emissions we put into the atmosphere with the amount we take out. It means reducing green gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions from the atmosphere being re-absorbed by oceans, forests, etc.

The number of net zero commitments by organisations has grown significantly over the last decade. We’re in this race to zero emissions to win together.

Why Does Net Zero Matter?

There’s no denying that natural disasters have become more frequent and severe, with erratic weather events devastating vulnerable populations and ecosystems worldwide.

This is where the Paris Agreement comes into the picture; in our quest to reach net zero by 2050, emissions must be reduced by 45% by 2030, and global warming must be kept below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Before we cause serious, irreversible consequences to our planet, it’s absolutely essential that we radically reduce our emissions, now.

The Experts’ Take on Net Zero

It’s evident that governments, economies, and societies must work toward global net zero emissions fast to prevent the worst effects of climate change.

Rachel Kyte, a climate advisor to the U.N. secretary-general, states, “A goal of net zero should mean cutting down emission to zero, as soon as possible. If not immediately possible – which is understandable, especially for utilities, heavy industry, and agriculture – then a goal of net zero means implementing a realistic plan for transitioning to zero for all greenhouse gases while finding offsets for residual emissions.”

The lack of well-defined standards for credible net zero commitments led to growing scepticism over the validity of commitments of several organisations. That’s all taken care of now, with the guidelines for credible net zero commitments in place.

These guidelines will help you identify credible commitments designed for a zero-carbon future and those that lack substance.

Relevant Questions About Net Zero Commitments

A set of relevant questions validate the credibility of net zero commitments.

Question #1: Is It About Now?

It is credible if the commitment is focussed on acting now to support the global goal of 45% emissions reduction by 2030.

Question #2: Is There A Plan?

With clearly defined plans, the actions to be taken immediately and over the next five years will be the focus. Such strategies will achieve interim and long-term targets, making the commitment credible.

Question #3: Is It Fast Enough?

Credible commitments must have targets that maximise their ability to act. By prioritising reduction, their end goal must be to reach net zero before 2050.

Question #4: Can You See Progress?

Along with strong governance arrangements, there must be sufficient transparency. They must publicly report their progress against all scopes of their emissions, at least annually.

Question #5: What Does It Cover?

The commitment must cover all scopes of greenhouse gas emissions, including Scope 3 for businesses and investors.

Question #6: Is It Just Offsetting?

Credible commitments avoid substituting or delaying decarbonisation with offsets. Instead, credits and sinks are utilised only for balancing the hardest-to-abate emissions by the net zero target date.

The Race to Zero

With the efforts of the Expert Peer Review Group – a group of scientists, practitioners, and experts – the campaign criteria were developed for the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign.

This is the first-of-its-kind campaign, the largest credible alliance of non-state actors acting on climate change. Unfortunately, with the campaign’s stringent criteria, scrutiny of the net zero commitments rendered most unsuitable for making the cut to Race to Zero.

With global net zero commitments representing 68% of global GDP and 61% of CO2 emissions, the Race to Zero commitments cover 15% of GDP and 7% of emissions.

As climate challenges and scientific results evolve, the annual campaign criteria are reviewed. Organisations and climate scientists are consulted to ensure the criteria consider the latest science. Members or initiatives that don’t meet these criteria are eliminated from the campaign.

Steps for a Credible Net Zero

The four elements that make a credible net zero commitment are Pledge, Plan, Proceed, and Publish:

  1. Pledge: A pledge at the head-of-organisation level to reach (net) zero emissions sooner, to limit global warming to 1.5C, and an interim target for 50% global CO2 reduction by 2030.
  2. Plan: In the 12 months following the pledge, explain the short- to medium-term actions to achieve interim and long-term pledges.
  3. Proceed: A mere commitment isn’t enough. Organisations must get into immediate action and consistently deliver the specified interim targets.
  4. Publish: There must be transparency with public reporting of interim and long-term targets’ progress and actions being taken on an annual basis.

It Isn’t Offsets Without Reduction

Institutions on the quest to (net) zero mustn’t only be offsetting, rather, they must prioritise reduction of emissions and limit residual emissions to those that aren’t feasible to eliminate.

While organisations can use offsets, it mustn’t be to delay or substitute for decarbonisation. The first and foremost priority must be the immediate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

By investing in high-quality carbon sinks (to store carbon long-term), they must clarify how they’re using sinks and credits for (net) zero.

This also involves contributing to the immediate preservation and restoration of natural carbon sinks to compensate for historical emissions. All the while, they mustn’t harm biodiversity or undermine social justice.

Actions Above Commitments

More than ever, actions speak louder than words for the collective goal of net zero. 

Thanks to Net Zero and the 1.5 Supply Chain Leaders initiative, leading businesses like Unilever, Microsoft, and IKEA are working on decarbonising their supply chains. To halve emissions by 2030, they’re working with business partners and suppliers.

The Business Ambition for 1.5oC Pledge led by the United Nations Global Compact, Science Based Targets (SBT) Initiatives, and We Mean Business, is a campaign that urges companies to aim for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with science-based targets.

A collective reduction in emissions by 25% was achieved by a sample cohort of companies in Business Ambition for 1.5oC. This is considered equivalent to annual emissions of 78 coal-fired power plants, or 302 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

On a similar note, Shell has been mandated by law to cut its emissions by 45% by 2030. This is based on the May 2021 ruling by a Dutch court.

Summing It Up

A rapid transition to a climate-resilient future is a joint effort of organisations, societies, economies, and governments. Plans and targets must be real and robust for a healthier, resilient, zero-carbon world with the goal of leaving the planet in a better condition than we find it to improve our lives and the lives of future generations. Remember, there are no individual wins here; it’s about winning TOGETHER. 

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Sources Used to Create This

  1. https://racetozero.unfccc.int/heres-how-we-get-net-zero-right/

Production Notes

This was produced by me, James Walters, as a personal project to help stop climate change by inspiring others to grow, eat, and live sustainably.

Any advice given is the opinion of those involved and does not constitute medical, financial, or legal advice.

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