There is an increasing risk that some claims of net zero emissions products, services, companies, cities and regions lack credibility, New Zealand’s Dr Rod Carr, a member of the UN High-Level Expert Group (HLEG), says.

Those making the claims need to be confident they could be defended with facts. These organisations making such claims are likely to be exposed to legal liability under securities laws and consumer protection legislation, Dr Carr says.

“There has been an avalanche of net zero pledges from businesses, investors, cities and regions in recent months and years.

“Getting a common definition of net zero is an important first step, but UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says pledging net zero is the easy part. The harder part is doing the work to get there.

“We have a deficit of credibility and of concrete delivery plans. There is a surplus of confusion about the many various types of pledges that have been made and what they mean in practice.

“Pledges alone do not lower emissions. Cutting emissions in reality requires robust delivery plans and concrete actions, and we need tougher, clearer standards and criteria for net zero pledges to underpin them.

“Never has it been more important that we see full and speedy implementation of all the pledges made by businesses, investors, cities and regions to reach net zero by 2050.”

The purpose of the HLEG is to help deliver stronger clearer standards for net zero pledges that apply to all non-state actors. To help speed up their implementation, they need to contribute to urgent emission cuts.

To be consistent with Paris Agreement commitments the science tells us global emissions must decrease by 45 per cent by 2030, starting now. Or rather yesterday.

According to the UN the world is going backwards on climate action. Emissions rebounded to their highest level in history in 2021 and are still rising, Dr Carr says.

“The HLEG has agreed on a two phase approach to implement its workplan.

“We are in phase one now, mapping and analysing the net zero landscape, including consultations, to help understand where stakeholders and regions are in their net zero journey.

“Phase two will consist of drafting of the recommendations. Our recommendations will follow the vision of the UN secretary-general and help ensure credibility and environmental integrity in non-state actor net zero emissions commitments.

We are now consulting and proactively engaging a broad variety of stakeholders in an inclusive, transparent, and equitable manner. Following our mandate, the HLEG will offer regular updates on its work and progress, and will set up ways to provide inputs and engage in the process

“We welcome all stakeholders to engage by submitting written inputs through the dedicated portal: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/high-level-expert-group.

The UN secretary-general says the world needs to ensure net zero commitments are ambitious and credible, and that they align with the highest standards of environmental integrity and transparency.

“They must also be actionable and mindful of different circumstances. The world is in a race against time. We cannot afford slow movers, fake movers or any form of greenwashing.”

Meanwhile, the judicial review by the High Court of the New Zealand Climate Change Commission’s advice relating to Aotearoa’s emissions budgets is due within the next couple of weeks.

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