Accelerating Net Zero: Exploring Cities, Regions and Companies Pledges to

This research paper by the NewClimate Institute summarizes the increasing momentum of net-zero emissions target setting among subnational actors and corporations, detailing the scale of population, revenue, and emissions covered by these pledges.

• A significant number of subnational actors have set net-zero targets, including 823 cities and 101 regions. These actors represent nearly 11 percent of the global population (over 828 million people) and have a combined emissions footprint exceeding 6.5 gigatonnes of GHG emissions, which is more than the 2018 emissions of the United States.
• Corporate net-zero target setting includes 1,541 companies with a combined revenue exceeding $11.4 trillion, a figure equivalent to more than half of the US GDP. These companies cover 3.5 gigatonnes in GHG emissions.
• The ambition and impact of net-zero targets vary based on the scope of emissions covered and the methods used for achievement. While some actors target only scope 1 emissions, others include scopes 1, 2, and 3. Methods for reaching net-zero vary from direct emissions reductions to the purchase of carbon offset credits and RECs, with the robustness of offsets and additionality being critical for assessment.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2020). Accelerating Net Zero: Exploring Cities, Regions and Companies Pledges to. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/accelerating-net-zero-exploring-cities-regions-and-companies-pledges-to

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Accelerating Net Zero: Exploring Cities, Regions and Companies Pledges to. 2020. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/accelerating-net-zero-exploring-cities-regions-and-companies-pledges-to.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Accelerating Net Zero: Exploring Cities, Regions and Companies Pledges to |date=21 September 2020 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/accelerating-net-zero-exploring-cities-regions-and-companies-pledges-to |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2020accelerating, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Accelerating Net Zero: Exploring Cities, Regions and Companies Pledges to}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/accelerating-net-zero-exploring-cities-regions-and-companies-pledges-to}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }