EARTH INDEX reveals which G20 countries and sectors are leading and lagging in the race to net-zero
A new analysis from Corporate Knights shows that members of the G20 are falling short of their stated commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Technology, however, is not the primary impediment. Rather, there is an urgent need for global collaboration. To prevent the 3°C catastrophe, the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report has warned that what we’re headed toward requires that we accelerate the transition to zero-emission technologies. It is a tough but doable challenge that will require leadership and collaboration from the G20 to quickly scale up investments in energy efficiency, vehicle electrification, heat pumps and other successfully demonstrated technologies for cutting emissions. In 2019, G20 countries emitted about 75% of the world’s total emissions, with per capita emissions in high-income countries at two to four times the G20 average. The leaders of these countries have acknowledged their responsibility and have committed their countries to emission reduction targets that, if reached, would go a long way toward avoiding the catastrophic consequences of business-as-usual. Corporate Knights holds them to account by comparing actual emissions with their stated commitments.