80% of world economy now aiming for net zero - but not all pledges are equal

More than 80% of global GDP – and 77% of global greenhouse gases - are now covered by a national net zero target, up from 68% and 61% last year, according to a new tracker co-led by Oxford Net Zero. But that number shrinks to 10% of global GDP and 5% of global emissions, if only strong commitments and clear plans are included.

Professor Thomas Hale, Global Public Policy, the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, said, ‘Net zero has now gone fully mainstream, but not all net zero pledges are created equal. As targets and pledges proliferate, this tracker will shine a light on which ones are genuinely ambitious, comprehensive, transparent and accountable.  

‘The tracker is a major step forward for radical transparency, but clear standards are also vital to ensure that net zero targets are delivered.’ 

The Net Zero Tracker (NZT) uses key target criteria to analyse the quality of net zero targets - including target status, coverage, and planned use of offsets.  

It has assessed the pledges of all key actors, including national and regional governments in the leading emitters, and large city governments. It also tracks the 2,000 largest publicly traded businesses globally.  

Read more about the Net Zero Tracker on ox.ac.uk

Explore the Net Zero Tracker below: