Survey Finds 40% of Regions, Cities, and Companies Lack Emissions Reduction Targets
A recent annual survey has revealed that over 40% of leading companies, cities, and regions have yet to set any formal goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting a major gap in global efforts to combat climate change. The survey, conducted by Net Zero Tracker—a coalition of research groups at the University of Oxford—aims to assess global progress in addressing the climate crisis.
Despite an increase in net-zero pledges from governments and businesses since last year, external factors like wars, elections, and economic challenges have diverted attention, contributing to what Net Zero Tracker described as a significant "commitment gap."
As nations prepare to submit updated 2035 climate goals to the United Nations, many policymakers and corporate leaders are struggling to turn long-term climate promises into tangible actions, according to the report. Transition plans often lack the necessary detail and robustness to be effective.
"A recurring theme in this report is the persistent lack of integrity across the board," said John Lang, the head of Net Zero Tracker's Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.
The report analyzed the net-zero pledges and action plans of 198 countries, 706 sub-national regions, 1,186 cities, and nearly 2,000 publicly-listed companies. While 1,750 of these entities had made formal net-zero commitments, nearly 1,700 had no emissions-cutting targets whatsoever.
Among publicly-listed companies, nearly 60% had set net-zero goals—a 23% increase compared to last year—driven largely by a rise in pledges from Asia. However, the number of companies without emissions targets dropped from 734 to 495, including well-known firms like Tesla, BYD, Nintendo, and Berkshire Hathaway.
The report praised Costa Rica, Volvo, and Google's parent company, Alphabet, for their effective implementation of net-zero pledges. However, only 5% of the cities, regions, and companies surveyed met all of Net Zero Tracker's criteria for robust plans, which include clear strategies for phasing out fossil fuels.
Additionally, about half of the surveyed entities have not set targets for reducing non-CO2 greenhouse gases like methane. Many companies also failed to account for emissions across their entire supply chains or clarify how much they intend to rely on carbon offsets to meet their targets.
Currently, 148 countries—representing 88% of the global population—have committed to achieving net-zero emissions. However, some nations, including Mexico, Iran, and Azerbaijan (which will host the COP29 climate talks in November), have yet to make such pledges.
The report concluded that existing technologies could significantly increase global climate ambition, and urged that the next round of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted to the U.N. include more detailed plans for achieving emission targets.
"There's been some progress, but we need much more," said Catherine McKenna, former Canadian environment minister and chair of a U.N. expert group on net-zero commitments.