Latest news with #ClimateIntegrity
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Forget net zero. We need ‘real zero' – and these companies prove it's profitable
We see net zero emissions pledges everywhere, but only 14 per cent of Australians actually understand what net zero means. Who could blame them? Since the Paris Agreement in 2015, the term 'net zero' has been misused and misconstrued. This is largely because it was co-opted by the fossil fuel industry, which has exploited the 'net' in net zero as a loophole to rely on carbon offsets rather than make genuine emissions reductions. Ultimately, net zero has become a benchmark for complacency, and it is failing us. If we want to maintain a livable planet, we need businesses to commit to 'real zero'. That isn't a buzz phrase. It's a climate goal that is exactly what it sounds like: phasing out fossil fuels to reach zero emissions as fast as possible without reliance on offsets – no asterisk and no 'net'. Why do we need it? The recent extension of the North West Shelf gas project in Western Australia is a classic example of how net zero enables greenwashing by fossil fuel companies – Woodside claims to be aiming for 'net zero in our direct emissions by 2050', while also expanding a fossil fuel project that is estimated to produce more emissions per year than the entire country of Ireland. It does not even come close to passing the pub test, let alone a scientific assessment. Net zero greenwashing is eroding public trust in climate action because it's getting too hard to tell which companies are making genuine efforts to decarbonise, and which are not. Climate Integrity, the organisation I lead, recently published a Real Zero Leadership report alongside the University of Technology Sydney, which names IKEA, Fortescue and Lendlease as real zero decarbonisation leaders. The intention was to provide Australia with north-star examples of genuine climate action that is happening right now, at a time when many global businesses are backsliding on commitments. Loading To be clear, Climate Integrity is a proudly not-for-profit climate advocacy organisation, which commissioned and funded this research independently of the 15-plus companies we assessed. We have received funding from none of them. So, why Fortescue, IKEA and Lendlease? Because they're all companies of a significant (and impactful) size, setting ambitious, science-based commitments to phase out fossil fuels earlier than 2050, without relying on carbon offsets. And because if they can do it, others can too. So, what does real zero look like in the real world?
The Age
4 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Forget net zero. We need ‘real zero' – and these companies prove it's profitable
We see net zero emissions pledges everywhere, but only 14 per cent of Australians actually understand what net zero means. Who could blame them? Since the Paris Agreement in 2015, the term 'net zero' has been misused and misconstrued. This is largely because it was co-opted by the fossil fuel industry, which has exploited the 'net' in net zero as a loophole to rely on carbon offsets rather than make genuine emissions reductions. Ultimately, net zero has become a benchmark for complacency, and it is failing us. If we want to maintain a livable planet, we need businesses to commit to 'real zero'. That isn't a buzz phrase. It's a climate goal that is exactly what it sounds like: phasing out fossil fuels to reach zero emissions as fast as possible without reliance on offsets – no asterisk and no 'net'. Why do we need it? The recent extension of the North West Shelf gas project in Western Australia is a classic example of how net zero enables greenwashing by fossil fuel companies – Woodside claims to be aiming for 'net zero in our direct emissions by 2050', while also expanding a fossil fuel project that is estimated to produce more emissions per year than the entire country of Ireland. It does not even come close to passing the pub test, let alone a scientific assessment. Net zero greenwashing is eroding public trust in climate action because it's getting too hard to tell which companies are making genuine efforts to decarbonise, and which are not. Climate Integrity, the organisation I lead, recently published a Real Zero Leadership report alongside the University of Technology Sydney, which names IKEA, Fortescue and Lendlease as real zero decarbonisation leaders. The intention was to provide Australia with north-star examples of genuine climate action that is happening right now, at a time when many global businesses are backsliding on commitments. Loading To be clear, Climate Integrity is a proudly not-for-profit climate advocacy organisation, which commissioned and funded this research independently of the 15-plus companies we assessed. We have received funding from none of them. So, why Fortescue, IKEA and Lendlease? Because they're all companies of a significant (and impactful) size, setting ambitious, science-based commitments to phase out fossil fuels earlier than 2050, without relying on carbon offsets. And because if they can do it, others can too. So, what does real zero look like in the real world?
The Advertiser
06-07-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
'No offsets, no excuses': the pursuit of real zero
Five years ago, companies of all shapes and sizes were setting net zero targets. Reality has since caught up with a number of them, with Climate Integrity director Claire Snyder of the view some had little intention of ever following through on their promises. "It's very easy to set a net zero commitment target, it's actually much harder to achieve it," according to the head of the national advocacy organisation founded in 2024 to promote transparency, accountability and adherence to climate science. Still, not all businesses are treating climate pledges as a marketing exercise. Lendlease, IKEA and Fortescue have all been singled out by the not-for-profit research group for their "real zero" leadership, with the latter the only heavy-emitting industrial company in the world targeting no fossil fuels. Distinct from "net zero", which allows companies to neutralise emission by sinking money into growing trees and other carbon-cutting projects, "real zero" refers to decarbonisation through clean technologies - no offsets allowed. Originally intended as a last-resort for sectors with no emissions-free tech options, offsets have since become a way for companies to make little effort to decarbonise while throwing money at green projects elsewhere. While proponents argue offsets funnel funds into clean energy and revegetation, a host of reliability and permanence concerns have come to light and EnergyAustralia has recently been forced to apologise to customers for using them to spruik "carbon neutral" products. For Ms Snyder, elevating climate leaders was pivotal at a time of ambition backsliding concentrated in the US where businesses are experiencing political and legal pressure to ditch environmental policies and activities. While not entirely immune, she said Australian-based firms were able to create some distance and had produced fewer abandoned or watered-down climate commitments. Lendlease head of sustainability Cate Harris said for her company, which has been chipping away at its decarbonisation targets for years, it was full-steam ahead. "What sort of insulates us a little, particularly across our sector, is that the green building movement is now over 20 years old," she told AAP. The construction and real estate giant has an interim net zero carbon target by 2025 for scope 1 and 2 emissions, an offset-reliant commitment that is on track. More ambitious is its long-term "absolute zero" plan, which will see the real estate giant eliminate emissions without offsets, including those produced in the making of building materials. Cutting out what's known as "embodied carbon" from steel, concrete, glass and aluminium remains a major challenge as it's outside the company's direct control and relies on suppliers investing in green production lines. "They are actually probably four of the harder-to-abate sectors globally," she said. Ms Harris reported "green shoots" across all four materials and was confident the real estate company could meet its 2040 decarbonisation goals. "No offsets, no excuses," she said. Ms Snyder said the corporate pursuit of emissions reductions remained a largely opt-in and voluntary affair, with the exception of the safeguard mechanism for big polluters. Even that was dominated by offset use rather than actual decarbonisation, she said, and having "very low to moderate impact on emissions" based on the latest data. She said regulatory regimes clamping down on greenwashing and climate information transparency should be compulsory. "Unless they're mandatory, we're not going to see the change that we need to see at the pace that we need to see it." Originally set up as a government-level commitment under the international Paris climate pact to limit warming to 1.5C or well below 2C, net zero was never intended to be adopted by corporations. The pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050 - that is, cutting emissions wherever possible and then countering sectors with no legitimate options for decarbonisation with reliable carbon dioxide removal strategies - is key to achieving Australia's temperature goals. Five years ago, companies of all shapes and sizes were setting net zero targets. Reality has since caught up with a number of them, with Climate Integrity director Claire Snyder of the view some had little intention of ever following through on their promises. "It's very easy to set a net zero commitment target, it's actually much harder to achieve it," according to the head of the national advocacy organisation founded in 2024 to promote transparency, accountability and adherence to climate science. Still, not all businesses are treating climate pledges as a marketing exercise. Lendlease, IKEA and Fortescue have all been singled out by the not-for-profit research group for their "real zero" leadership, with the latter the only heavy-emitting industrial company in the world targeting no fossil fuels. Distinct from "net zero", which allows companies to neutralise emission by sinking money into growing trees and other carbon-cutting projects, "real zero" refers to decarbonisation through clean technologies - no offsets allowed. Originally intended as a last-resort for sectors with no emissions-free tech options, offsets have since become a way for companies to make little effort to decarbonise while throwing money at green projects elsewhere. While proponents argue offsets funnel funds into clean energy and revegetation, a host of reliability and permanence concerns have come to light and EnergyAustralia has recently been forced to apologise to customers for using them to spruik "carbon neutral" products. For Ms Snyder, elevating climate leaders was pivotal at a time of ambition backsliding concentrated in the US where businesses are experiencing political and legal pressure to ditch environmental policies and activities. While not entirely immune, she said Australian-based firms were able to create some distance and had produced fewer abandoned or watered-down climate commitments. Lendlease head of sustainability Cate Harris said for her company, which has been chipping away at its decarbonisation targets for years, it was full-steam ahead. "What sort of insulates us a little, particularly across our sector, is that the green building movement is now over 20 years old," she told AAP. The construction and real estate giant has an interim net zero carbon target by 2025 for scope 1 and 2 emissions, an offset-reliant commitment that is on track. More ambitious is its long-term "absolute zero" plan, which will see the real estate giant eliminate emissions without offsets, including those produced in the making of building materials. Cutting out what's known as "embodied carbon" from steel, concrete, glass and aluminium remains a major challenge as it's outside the company's direct control and relies on suppliers investing in green production lines. "They are actually probably four of the harder-to-abate sectors globally," she said. Ms Harris reported "green shoots" across all four materials and was confident the real estate company could meet its 2040 decarbonisation goals. "No offsets, no excuses," she said. Ms Snyder said the corporate pursuit of emissions reductions remained a largely opt-in and voluntary affair, with the exception of the safeguard mechanism for big polluters. Even that was dominated by offset use rather than actual decarbonisation, she said, and having "very low to moderate impact on emissions" based on the latest data. She said regulatory regimes clamping down on greenwashing and climate information transparency should be compulsory. "Unless they're mandatory, we're not going to see the change that we need to see at the pace that we need to see it." Originally set up as a government-level commitment under the international Paris climate pact to limit warming to 1.5C or well below 2C, net zero was never intended to be adopted by corporations. The pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050 - that is, cutting emissions wherever possible and then countering sectors with no legitimate options for decarbonisation with reliable carbon dioxide removal strategies - is key to achieving Australia's temperature goals. Five years ago, companies of all shapes and sizes were setting net zero targets. Reality has since caught up with a number of them, with Climate Integrity director Claire Snyder of the view some had little intention of ever following through on their promises. "It's very easy to set a net zero commitment target, it's actually much harder to achieve it," according to the head of the national advocacy organisation founded in 2024 to promote transparency, accountability and adherence to climate science. Still, not all businesses are treating climate pledges as a marketing exercise. Lendlease, IKEA and Fortescue have all been singled out by the not-for-profit research group for their "real zero" leadership, with the latter the only heavy-emitting industrial company in the world targeting no fossil fuels. Distinct from "net zero", which allows companies to neutralise emission by sinking money into growing trees and other carbon-cutting projects, "real zero" refers to decarbonisation through clean technologies - no offsets allowed. Originally intended as a last-resort for sectors with no emissions-free tech options, offsets have since become a way for companies to make little effort to decarbonise while throwing money at green projects elsewhere. While proponents argue offsets funnel funds into clean energy and revegetation, a host of reliability and permanence concerns have come to light and EnergyAustralia has recently been forced to apologise to customers for using them to spruik "carbon neutral" products. For Ms Snyder, elevating climate leaders was pivotal at a time of ambition backsliding concentrated in the US where businesses are experiencing political and legal pressure to ditch environmental policies and activities. While not entirely immune, she said Australian-based firms were able to create some distance and had produced fewer abandoned or watered-down climate commitments. Lendlease head of sustainability Cate Harris said for her company, which has been chipping away at its decarbonisation targets for years, it was full-steam ahead. "What sort of insulates us a little, particularly across our sector, is that the green building movement is now over 20 years old," she told AAP. The construction and real estate giant has an interim net zero carbon target by 2025 for scope 1 and 2 emissions, an offset-reliant commitment that is on track. More ambitious is its long-term "absolute zero" plan, which will see the real estate giant eliminate emissions without offsets, including those produced in the making of building materials. Cutting out what's known as "embodied carbon" from steel, concrete, glass and aluminium remains a major challenge as it's outside the company's direct control and relies on suppliers investing in green production lines. "They are actually probably four of the harder-to-abate sectors globally," she said. Ms Harris reported "green shoots" across all four materials and was confident the real estate company could meet its 2040 decarbonisation goals. "No offsets, no excuses," she said. Ms Snyder said the corporate pursuit of emissions reductions remained a largely opt-in and voluntary affair, with the exception of the safeguard mechanism for big polluters. Even that was dominated by offset use rather than actual decarbonisation, she said, and having "very low to moderate impact on emissions" based on the latest data. She said regulatory regimes clamping down on greenwashing and climate information transparency should be compulsory. "Unless they're mandatory, we're not going to see the change that we need to see at the pace that we need to see it." Originally set up as a government-level commitment under the international Paris climate pact to limit warming to 1.5C or well below 2C, net zero was never intended to be adopted by corporations. The pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050 - that is, cutting emissions wherever possible and then countering sectors with no legitimate options for decarbonisation with reliable carbon dioxide removal strategies - is key to achieving Australia's temperature goals. Five years ago, companies of all shapes and sizes were setting net zero targets. Reality has since caught up with a number of them, with Climate Integrity director Claire Snyder of the view some had little intention of ever following through on their promises. "It's very easy to set a net zero commitment target, it's actually much harder to achieve it," according to the head of the national advocacy organisation founded in 2024 to promote transparency, accountability and adherence to climate science. Still, not all businesses are treating climate pledges as a marketing exercise. Lendlease, IKEA and Fortescue have all been singled out by the not-for-profit research group for their "real zero" leadership, with the latter the only heavy-emitting industrial company in the world targeting no fossil fuels. Distinct from "net zero", which allows companies to neutralise emission by sinking money into growing trees and other carbon-cutting projects, "real zero" refers to decarbonisation through clean technologies - no offsets allowed. Originally intended as a last-resort for sectors with no emissions-free tech options, offsets have since become a way for companies to make little effort to decarbonise while throwing money at green projects elsewhere. While proponents argue offsets funnel funds into clean energy and revegetation, a host of reliability and permanence concerns have come to light and EnergyAustralia has recently been forced to apologise to customers for using them to spruik "carbon neutral" products. For Ms Snyder, elevating climate leaders was pivotal at a time of ambition backsliding concentrated in the US where businesses are experiencing political and legal pressure to ditch environmental policies and activities. While not entirely immune, she said Australian-based firms were able to create some distance and had produced fewer abandoned or watered-down climate commitments. Lendlease head of sustainability Cate Harris said for her company, which has been chipping away at its decarbonisation targets for years, it was full-steam ahead. "What sort of insulates us a little, particularly across our sector, is that the green building movement is now over 20 years old," she told AAP. The construction and real estate giant has an interim net zero carbon target by 2025 for scope 1 and 2 emissions, an offset-reliant commitment that is on track. More ambitious is its long-term "absolute zero" plan, which will see the real estate giant eliminate emissions without offsets, including those produced in the making of building materials. Cutting out what's known as "embodied carbon" from steel, concrete, glass and aluminium remains a major challenge as it's outside the company's direct control and relies on suppliers investing in green production lines. "They are actually probably four of the harder-to-abate sectors globally," she said. Ms Harris reported "green shoots" across all four materials and was confident the real estate company could meet its 2040 decarbonisation goals. "No offsets, no excuses," she said. Ms Snyder said the corporate pursuit of emissions reductions remained a largely opt-in and voluntary affair, with the exception of the safeguard mechanism for big polluters. Even that was dominated by offset use rather than actual decarbonisation, she said, and having "very low to moderate impact on emissions" based on the latest data. She said regulatory regimes clamping down on greenwashing and climate information transparency should be compulsory. "Unless they're mandatory, we're not going to see the change that we need to see at the pace that we need to see it." Originally set up as a government-level commitment under the international Paris climate pact to limit warming to 1.5C or well below 2C, net zero was never intended to be adopted by corporations. The pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050 - that is, cutting emissions wherever possible and then countering sectors with no legitimate options for decarbonisation with reliable carbon dioxide removal strategies - is key to achieving Australia's temperature goals.
Perth Now
05-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
'No offsets, no excuses': the pursuit of real zero
Five years ago, companies of all shapes and sizes were setting net zero targets. Reality has since caught up with a number of them, with Climate Integrity director Claire Snyder of the view some had little intention of ever following through on their promises. "It's very easy to set a net zero commitment target, it's actually much harder to achieve it," according to the head of the national advocacy organisation founded in 2024 to promote transparency, accountability and adherence to climate science. Still, not all businesses are treating climate pledges as a marketing exercise. Lendlease, IKEA and Fortescue have all been singled out by the not-for-profit research group for their "real zero" leadership, with the latter the only heavy-emitting industrial company in the world targeting no fossil fuels. Distinct from "net zero", which allows companies to neutralise emission by sinking money into growing trees and other carbon-cutting projects, "real zero" refers to decarbonisation through clean technologies - no offsets allowed. Originally intended as a last-resort for sectors with no emissions-free tech options, offsets have since become a way for companies to make little effort to decarbonise while throwing money at green projects elsewhere. While proponents argue offsets funnel funds into clean energy and revegetation, a host of reliability and permanence concerns have come to light and EnergyAustralia has recently been forced to apologise to customers for using them to spruik "carbon neutral" products. For Ms Snyder, elevating climate leaders was pivotal at a time of ambition backsliding concentrated in the US where businesses are experiencing political and legal pressure to ditch environmental policies and activities. While not entirely immune, she said Australian-based firms were able to create some distance and had produced fewer abandoned or watered-down climate commitments. Lendlease head of sustainability Cate Harris said for her company, which has been chipping away at its decarbonisation targets for years, it was full-steam ahead. "What sort of insulates us a little, particularly across our sector, is that the green building movement is now over 20 years old," she told AAP. The construction and real estate giant has an interim net zero carbon target by 2025 for scope 1 and 2 emissions, an offset-reliant commitment that is on track. More ambitious is its long-term "absolute zero" plan, which will see the real estate giant eliminate emissions without offsets, including those produced in the making of building materials. Cutting out what's known as "embodied carbon" from steel, concrete, glass and aluminium remains a major challenge as it's outside the company's direct control and relies on suppliers investing in green production lines. "They are actually probably four of the harder-to-abate sectors globally," she said. Ms Harris reported "green shoots" across all four materials and was confident the real estate company could meet its 2040 decarbonisation goals. "No offsets, no excuses," she said. Ms Snyder said the corporate pursuit of emissions reductions remained a largely opt-in and voluntary affair, with the exception of the safeguard mechanism for big polluters. Even that was dominated by offset use rather than actual decarbonisation, she said, and having "very low to moderate impact on emissions" based on the latest data. She said regulatory regimes clamping down on greenwashing and climate information transparency should be compulsory. "Unless they're mandatory, we're not going to see the change that we need to see at the pace that we need to see it." Originally set up as a government-level commitment under the international Paris climate pact to limit warming to 1.5C or well below 2C, net zero was never intended to be adopted by corporations. The pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050 - that is, cutting emissions wherever possible and then countering sectors with no legitimate options for decarbonisation with reliable carbon dioxide removal strategies - is key to achieving Australia's temperature goals.
West Australian
05-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
'No offsets, no excuses': the pursuit of real zero
Five years ago, companies of all shapes and sizes were setting net zero targets. Reality has since caught up with a number of them, with Climate Integrity director Claire Snyder of the view some had little intention of ever following through on their promises. "It's very easy to set a net zero commitment target, it's actually much harder to achieve it," according to the head of the national advocacy organisation founded in 2024 to promote transparency, accountability and adherence to climate science. Still, not all businesses are treating climate pledges as a marketing exercise. Lendlease, IKEA and Fortescue have all been singled out by the not-for-profit research group for their "real zero" leadership, with the latter the only heavy-emitting industrial company in the world targeting no fossil fuels. Distinct from "net zero", which allows companies to neutralise emission by sinking money into growing trees and other carbon-cutting projects, "real zero" refers to decarbonisation through clean technologies - no offsets allowed. Originally intended as a last-resort for sectors with no emissions-free tech options, offsets have since become a way for companies to make little effort to decarbonise while throwing money at green projects elsewhere. While proponents argue offsets funnel funds into clean energy and revegetation, a host of reliability and permanence concerns have come to light and EnergyAustralia has recently been forced to apologise to customers for using them to spruik "carbon neutral" products. For Ms Snyder, elevating climate leaders was pivotal at a time of ambition backsliding concentrated in the US where businesses are experiencing political and legal pressure to ditch environmental policies and activities. While not entirely immune, she said Australian-based firms were able to create some distance and had produced fewer abandoned or watered-down climate commitments. Lendlease head of sustainability Cate Harris said for her company, which has been chipping away at its decarbonisation targets for years, it was full-steam ahead. "What sort of insulates us a little, particularly across our sector, is that the green building movement is now over 20 years old," she told AAP. The construction and real estate giant has an interim net zero carbon target by 2025 for scope 1 and 2 emissions, an offset-reliant commitment that is on track. More ambitious is its long-term "absolute zero" plan, which will see the real estate giant eliminate emissions without offsets, including those produced in the making of building materials. Cutting out what's known as "embodied carbon" from steel, concrete, glass and aluminium remains a major challenge as it's outside the company's direct control and relies on suppliers investing in green production lines. "They are actually probably four of the harder-to-abate sectors globally," she said. Ms Harris reported "green shoots" across all four materials and was confident the real estate company could meet its 2040 decarbonisation goals. "No offsets, no excuses," she said. Ms Snyder said the corporate pursuit of emissions reductions remained a largely opt-in and voluntary affair, with the exception of the safeguard mechanism for big polluters. Even that was dominated by offset use rather than actual decarbonisation, she said, and having "very low to moderate impact on emissions" based on the latest data. She said regulatory regimes clamping down on greenwashing and climate information transparency should be compulsory. "Unless they're mandatory, we're not going to see the change that we need to see at the pace that we need to see it." Originally set up as a government-level commitment under the international Paris climate pact to limit warming to 1.5C or well below 2C, net zero was never intended to be adopted by corporations. The pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050 - that is, cutting emissions wherever possible and then countering sectors with no legitimate options for decarbonisation with reliable carbon dioxide removal strategies - is key to achieving Australia's temperature goals.
