World’s largest companies have resumed setting net zero goals after pausing last year: Accenture survey

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🗞️ Driving the news: A new Accenture report shows the world’s largest companies have resumed setting net zero targets, reversing last year’s pause — including in North America
The 2025 Destination Net Zero study analyzed 4,000 global companies and found that climate ambition is rising despite political uncertainty

🔭 The context:  41% of the top 2,000 companies now have full value chain (Scopes 1–3) net zero targets, up from 37% after a flat 2024
• Target-setting increased in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and even North America, where commitments had declined for two years
• 73% of companies now have Scope 1 & 2 net zero goals, and 70% of those have transition plans
• Companies are using more decarbonization “levers”: 13 on average, up from 11.5 last year

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Corporate climate action is essential for global decarbonization — and this renewed momentum shows that companies increasingly link climate progress with cost savings, competitiveness, and long-term resilience
• Still, the majority of global corporate emissions remain off-track, meaning current actions are not yet sufficient to shift the global climate trajectory

⏭️ What’s next: More firms are expected to add Scope 3 goals as value-chain disclosure becomes global standard practice
• Political headwinds — particularly in the U.S. — may slow some progress, but investor pressure and supply-chain requirements will continue driving action
• The biggest variable: whether heavy emitters accelerate fast enough to close the gap between ambition and climate reality

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of top corporate firms like Accenture, Mckinsey, and EY

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