Paris: While more countries, companies and cities are setting net-zero targets, many of their pledges to slash carbon emissions lack integrity, said a study published Monday. Net Zero Tracker, a research partnership between four organisations, annually reviews the climate pledges of more than 4,000 governments, states, cities, and major corporations. Nearly 60 percent of the approximately 2,000 listed companies under its watch have vowed to eliminate their carbon footprints, it said: 23 percent up on its last assessment in 2023.
There was a "significant rise" in net-zero goals adopted by companies in Asia, it added. In all, 148 countries have set net-zero goals, added. Azerbaijan however -- this year's host of the UN climate negotiations in November -- was a "notable exception".
A growing number of state governments and cities had their own targets, 28 percent and 8 percent more respectively compared to the previous year. But "fewer than 5 percent of entities across companies, states and regions, and cities" met the minimum required criteria, the report added. This includes explaining how goals will be met, setting interim targets and covering all greenhouse gas emissions -- not just CO2 -- to demonstrate the credibility of these pledges.
While the number of companies with no plans whatsoever to slash emissions has "reduced substantially", nearly half of the world's largest 100 private firms have decided against setting climate targets, it added. "Progress has been made, but .