Review calls for national governments to do more to help cities and regions reach net zero
A new net zero ‘stocktake’ finds that while the number of cities and regions setting net zero targets in the last year has increased, there is still a “commitment gap which is holding back the necessary economy-wide transition”.
The report calls for national governments to do more to help close this gap, given the critical role subnational governments play in reducing carbon emissions.
The latest Net Zero Global Stocktake shows that 148 of 198 countries, including the EU and Taiwan, now have net zero targets – up from 124 in December 2020.
The number of cities and regions with net zero targets has increased by 8% and 28% respectively since the previous stocktake in June 2023. Now, 185 regions (26% of the 706 tracked) and 271 cities (23% of 1,186) have targets, up from 73 and 115 in 2020. Most of these targets are in high-income countries, while only 11% of cities in lower-income nations (93 out of 842) have committed to net zero.
The findings are based on data from the Net Zero Tracker (NZT), provided by a consortium including the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit, Data-Driven EnviroLab, NewClimate Institute, and Oxford Net Zero. The NZT monitors net zero targets for all United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change nations, major regions, cities with over 500,000 residents, and the world’s 2,000 largest companies by revenue.
Dr Steve Smith, executive director at Oxford Net Zero, said: “It’s two years since the UN secretary general launched a report into net zero pledges, saying ‘we must have zero tolerance for net-zero greenwashing’. And yet our findings show barely any improvements. Fewer than 5% of all the pledges by cities, regions and companies meet all our criteria for integrity.
“That number has risen by just 1% since last year. But there are a few bright spots of leadership around the world. Ambitious and honest action is possible. We point to examples in our report, with the hope that there will be many more in the near future.”
Read more: National climate ministries shown to reduce carbon emissions
Ambition loop
The report finds that in general, national-level net zero targets serve as a ‘ceiling’ of ambition for sub-national governments, but some go above and beyond and may influence national target-setting – creating an ‘ambition loop’.
In India, 14 of the 20 regions with a net zero target have set a deadline that is earlier than India’s national 2070 goal.
In the United States, 18 states have set net zero targets, five of which have earlier deadlines than the federal government’s 2050 target. In addition, nine states have emission reduction targets of 80% for 2050.
In Mexico, which does not have a national-level net zero target, 11 of its 32 states have long-term climate targets, three of which are net zero goals.
The report calls for all cities, states and regions to “translate their wide-ranging authority to establish and enforce policies and regulations into clear net zero plans”, and for national governments to do more to support them.
It notes that subnational governments that can have some degree of autonomy in climate policy have demonstrated encouraging progress, especially in sectors like transport and buildings.
“National governments can unlock progress by, for example, supporting regions through policy guidance and enhanced coordination,” the report states. “Further support would not only help achieve current targets but also foster the conditions and consensus needed for goals and policies that align with national objectives.”
The NZT also found that the number of companies that do not have any emissions target reduced from 734 last year to 495. However, nearly half of the world’s largest 100 private companies have opted out of setting climate targets.
Read more: Call for Australia to ‘science the sh*t’ out of climate change
Cities as partners
Earlier this year, Gregor Robertson, special envoy for cities in the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) and the former mayor of Vancouver, told Global Government Forum: “Country leaders must recognise that the battle against climate change will be won or lost in our cities. Urban areas are where the impacts are most felt and where innovative solutions are often first developed. It is imperative that national leaders embrace cities as critical partners, not just as stakeholders.”
Asked what has blocked better collaboration between national and city governments to date, Robertson said there is a “historical disconnect” between levels of government and their priorities that must be addressed.
“During my tenure as mayor, I saw firsthand how cities around the world were leading the way on climate but lacked the authority and resources from their national governments,” he said. “This was due to political differences or bureaucratic hurdles, or both.”
“Generally, there was a mismatch between national priorities and budgets and local project needs – cities were focused on immediate, actionable solutions but national policies and programmes were often delayed by lengthy legislative processes,” Robertson added. “But with climate disasters now frequently causing enormous damage there’s an urgent need for a more synchronised approach where national strategies empower and enable city-level initiatives.”
Read more: The missing link in national climate plans – cities
About Sarah Wray
Sarah has over 15 years’ experience as a journalist with a specialism in the public sector and topics such as digitalisation and climate action. Sarah was formerly the editor of Cities Today and Smart Cities World, as well as a specialist video-based publication in the aerospace sector. She has also written for publications including Smart Cities Dive, Mobile Europe, Mobile World Live and Computer Weekly.
