Net Zero Tracker publishes 2022 stocktake

The Net Zero Tracker initiative, co-led by PCT lead researcher Thomas Hale, tracks net zero targets pledged by nations, states, regions, cities and companies. The recently published 2022 stocktake showed that national net zero targets set in domestic legislation or policy documents have increased from 10% of total emissions coverage at the end 2020 to 65% in June this year. Unfortunately, there is low transparency as to how these targets will be achieved. Over three quarters of national and sub-national governments currently do not specify whether they intend to use external offset credits.

Hale said “The smartest companies have seen the writing on the wall and are quickly moving ahead, but too many are still imagining that some sort of clever #ESG accounting is going to allow them to avoid deep decarbonisation”.