New standards and public procurement requirements forcing companies to turn their net zero targets into ambitious, yet achievable decarbonisation plans. Today, more than 74 countries, representing over 80% of the world’s GDP and almost 70% of global CO2 emissions, have announced net zero carbon commitments. Moreover, more than 3,000 companies have set their own targets as part of the United Nations’ Race to Zero campaign, in recognition of the fact that the rules of corporate competition are changing, and that the level of global collaboration between companies and governments needs to increase. Most of the commitments share a 2050 deadline. This may seem very far away, but 30 years isn’t much when it comes to decarbonizing a company’s entire operations, and regulators know that. For this reason, governments are starting to align their own net zero targets with their purchasing strategy. A major public tender milestone in the United Kingdom In September 2021, the UK added environmental criteria to its public tender selection process for contracts of more than 5 million pounds. The measure applies to all departments in the central government, as well as executive agencies and public organizations. Among the selection requirements is the delivery of a carbon reduction plan, which must include a detailed breakdown of where the bidding company’s CO2 emissions come from, and what environmental and carbon reduction measures it plans to implement. Several large corporations are already reporting their Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (own indirect) emissions as part of their energy and carbon reports, particularly since 2018. But the new rules go beyond that, requiring not only a commitment to achieve net zero by 2050, but also the reporting of parts of Scope 2 (value chain) emissions. These must be calculated according to the GHG Protocol recommendations, and include business trips, employee commute, transportation, distribution and waste, for the first time. Scope 3 emissions are a significant proportion of an organization’s carbon footprint, yet they are often the hardest to calculate and reduce. For the UK government, understanding, reporting on and reducing these three scopes of CO2 emissions will play a major role in the decarbonization of the government’s supply chain, and of the overall country’s economy. Related articles: EU ETS: What is it and why is it changing? Everything you need to know about the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism First international standards around companies’ net zero strategies At the same time, the recent launch of the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) corporate standard aims to put an end to ambiguous “net zero” targets that don’t put words into action. With this methodology, SBTI is giving companies the tools and guidance they need to build a credible and independently verifiable strategy. The goal is also to align short and long-term climate action with the target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. In practice, the standard aims toward a 50% reduction of corporate emissions by 2030, and 90-95% by 2050. To achieve net zero, the emissions that can’t be eliminated (the remaining 5-10%) will have to be offset through the purchase of carbon credits. The standard requires companies to focus on rapid and thorough emissions reductions, to establish short and long-term targets, and to stay away from large-scale communication on their net zero goal until long-term objectives involving their entire supply and value chains have been achieved. The standard will help large companies elaborate concrete GHG reduction plans that can be verified by third parties, which is very likely to become a requirement from investors as well. Related articles: How to offer carbon-neutral products and services Carbon offsetting for SMEs Institutional investors demand greater ESG transparency  Pressure is also growing to comply environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements from institutional investors (such as BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street or sovereign pension funds), particularly for large, listed corporations. In 2020, 85% of investors implemented ESG criteria in their portfolios.  These investors have noticed a correlation between ESG performance and value creation for shareholders. Additionally, ESG criteria are a tool to identify and mitigate environmental, social and governance risks. It has become apparent that companies with a strong ESG performance tend to be more efficient and productive, spend less money, create less waste and enjoy a stronger commitment from employees, which makes them more attractive to both capital and talent. Capital markets and increasingly considering emissions risks in the price of assets, and venture capital in transition technologies is at its highest point. ClimateTrade’s digital solutions to help companies achieve net zero commitments As seen above, investors’ and governments’ requirements around decarbonisation are becoming more stringent, and at the same time, consumers’ sustainability expectations are also growing. In the coming years, products will be compared according to their CO2 footprint, and this will influence purchasing decisions. Carbon-neutral products and services are a necessity, but achieving them is no easy task. It requires the automatic calculation of carbon footprint, and a reliable platform that can give clients complete visibility over where and how carbon credits are generated. ClimateTrade helps companies achieve their sustainability and carbon offsetting goals, strengthening their corporate social responsibility strategies through innovative digital solutions. Having noticed the demand for carbon-neutral products and services, we have developed the ClimateTrade API, the first API REST that can be integrated easily and safely into companies’ systems, so they can allow their own customers to acquire carbon-neutral products and services at check-out. In November 2021, we also launched the ClimateTrade Widget, a solution which presents similar functionalities, but with an even simpler integration process, which makes it perfect for SMEs and organizations with limited IT resources. The ClimateTrade API and Widget give clients information about the carbon footprint of their purchases, and allows them to invest in sustainable projects to offset it. We have already integrated these solutions into the systems of various international corporations. Check out our case studies. ……………… Want to find out more? Contact our experts.  Article written by Miguel López, Carbon Credits Manager, and Francisco Martín, Head of Engineering, both at ClimateTrade.

With 2021 coming to an end, we only have eight years left to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Is the decade of climate action delivering on its promises? In 2019, the United Nations declared that after many years of talks to achieve the globally coordinated climate and social policies included in the SDGs, 2020 should usher in ‘the decade of action’. Or as Greta Thunberg put it at this year’s COP26, no more “blah blah blah”. In this article, we look at the current state of climate action and the likelihood that the world will achieve its SDG promises before the 2030 deadline. Government action At government level, it is fair to say the pace of action is picking up. Practically every country now has some kind of climate legislation in place, and 237 of these laws were passed since 2020 alone. As of June 2021, 1,900 local governments and 34 countries had declared a climate emergency. In Europe, since the launch of the European Green New Deal, new regulatory proposals on environmental or social matters are contemplated every week, and a decarbonisation roadmap has been set out to achieve 55% emissions reduction by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Citizen action The strengthening of the regulatory framework around climate is leading to an increase in climate litigation, whereby citizens or associations can sue their own governments for taking actions that go against their commitment to fight climate change. One recent example of this is the Stop Cambo lawsuit against the UK government for approving a new oil field in the North Sea. The lawsuit itself is against the government, but the public campaign led by environmental activists gained so much traction that one of the project’s private owners (Shell) pulled out in early December just a few days before the court date, leading to a “pause” in the project development. According to the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, the cumulative number of climate change-related litigation cases has more than doubled since 2015, and this trend is set to continue. Business action New regulations and customer expectations are also leading to action in the business sphere. For instance, in July 2021, the European Commission adopted the Sustainable Finance Strategy and proposed a new European Green Bond Standard to increase investment in the EU’s transition towards a sustainable economy. Globally, new regulations on transparency regarding environmental risks for investment portfolios have led to an exponential increase in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investment. According to MorningStar, by June 2021, ESG fund assets had reached US$2.24 trillion, almost double from US$1.28 trillion at the end of 2019. This is setting the course for economic initiatives and corporate strategic plans. Today, 622 of the 2,000 largest publicly traded companies have made net-zero commitments.  Innovation is the strength of the private sector, and when applied to climate, it can create lasting change. New developments in clean energy technologies such as solar panels and batteries, for instance, have fuelled the tremendous growth of renewable electricity and electric vehicle adoption in the past few years. In 2020, 29% of global electricity generation came from renewables, and 2021 saw renewable generation capacity increase by 290 gigawatts. The International Energy Agency predicts a 60% rise in renewable electricity capacity between 2020 and 2026, to over 4,800 gigawatts – equivalent to the current total global power capacity of fossil fuels and nuclear combined. Reality check Despite this flurry of action, scientists are unanimous: we are not on track to meet the Paris Agreement’s commitments. In 2021, global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are expected to reach 36.4 billion tonnes, only 0.8% below pre-pandemic levels. The IEA notes that in order to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, renewable power capacity additions over the period 2021-26 would need to average almost double the current rate. And the State of Climate Action 2021 report, published last November, makes a clear statement that “the hard truth is that for many transformations, action is incremental at best, and headed in the wrong direction altogether at worst”. In fact, none of the 40 indicators assessed in the report are on track to meet environmental targets.  We need to correct this trajectory and dramatically accelerate the delivery of climate commitments in all spheres: government, private sector and civil society. It is time to  achieve gigaton decarbonisation by simultaneously reducing global emissions and increasing the financing available to climate mitigation projects. At company level, this means it is time to calculate your carbon footprint, implement emissions reduction measures, and offset remaining emissions to achieve carbon neutrality. ClimateTrade can help: register for free on our marketplace or get in touch with our team. As the State Climate Action report authors put it: “We must not only do better. We must do what it takes.”