Thousands of companies have set ambitious, interim 2030 carbon reduction goals and pledged net-zero emissions by 2050. Yet, without sufficient action to underpin plans, these corporate net-zero goals may be viewed as greenwashing. According to a recent report from the United Nations High-Level Expert Group, a credible net-zero commitment should communicate how a company plans to deliver significant near- and medium-term emissions reductions from an implementation plan that is: science-based, transparent, verifiable, and that aligns actions and investments with net-zero commitments.

The Center for Climate and Energy Solution’s (C2ES) latest work on corporate low-carbon transition plans seeks to accelerate corporate climate action by identifying best practices for creating and implementing Paris-aligned low-carbon transition plans. Our aim is to incentivize the uptake of decision-useful and credible plans with an emphasis on transparency, performance, and iterative development.

This webinar was part of the launch of our new report Corporate Low-Carbon Transition Planning: Best Practices & Recommendations to Support Credible Action. During the webinar, we shared findings from our research on transition planning guidance, regulator and NGO views on transition plan credibility, and essential findings from corporate interviews on roadblocks to avoid and best practices to help ensure success.  Participants were also updated on the next phase of our research followed by a moderated conversation with one of our corporate partners actively engaged in this work. We concluded with an opportunity for further dialogue and questions.

Key topics included:

• The business case for low-carbon transition plans
• Practical steps and best practices for development and implementation
• Overview of transition planning and credibility guidance
• The iterative process necessary to develop and refine robust low-carbon transition plans
• Emerging themes and considerations, including just transition and the transparency gulf

Webinar Highlights

Speakers