Net-zero plans of the biggest global companies do not add up to net zero

Google said it clearly defines the scope of its climate commitments, acknowledging that “100% renewable energy match and high-quality offsetting is only a step” toward its net-zero goal. — AFP

What do Unilever Plc, Alphabet Inc’s Google and Amazon.com Inc have in common? Their net-zero promises do not add up to net zero, a new report says.

It’s not just these three companies, either. The report, published by the New Climate Institute and Carbon Market Watch, finds that 25 of the world’s most valuable companies, which together accrued US$3.2 trillion in revenues in 2020 and accounted for 5% of global greenhouse-gas emissions in 2019, have climate plans that are weaker than how they’ve been marketed so far.