More companies setting 'net-zero' climate targets, but few have ... - kuna noticias y kuna radio
More companies setting 'net-zero' climate targets, but few have credible plans, report says - KESQ
More companies setting ‘net-zero’ climate targets, but few have credible plans, report says
By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press
BONN, Germany (AP) — A growing number of companies are pledging to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to “net zero” to curb climate change, but a report says the goal is rarely supported by a credible plan. According to the report published Monday, the number of publicly listed corporations aiming for net zero increased from 417 to 929 since late 2020. Researchers say they found that less than 5% of the companies they examined met basic credibility criteria. They say companies often fail to include the emissions caused by their products in their emission tallies. The idea behind net zero is to stop adding planet-warming gas to the atmosphere, either by preventing emissions in the first place or removing an equivalent amount.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”