Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 2 hrs ago
Net-zero targets hold steady, but cities remain behind
A global assessment found net-zero targets at 47% of 4,062 major entities, including countries, regions, cities and companies.
The share has not changed since last year, though it was 18% in 2020.
Cities and regions remain the weakest part of the picture: 28% of tracked cities and 29% of states and regions have targets.
Coverage varies widely, from 68% of tracked G7 cities with targets to 5% of tracked cities in low-income countries.
Nearly two-thirds of the world’s largest companies have net-zero targets, and almost 80% of companies with targets publish plans to carry them out.
But only 48% of targets fully cover Scope 3 emissions, which often make up most of a company’s emissions, and many firms still have no mitigation target.
The central challenge is turning commitments into emissions cuts, with cities and regions needing powers and finance to act across transport, buildings and energy.
Net-zero targets remain steady among major entities, but cities and regions are lagging, according to Net Zero Tracker’s latest report.
The report found that 47% of 4,062 tracked entities had a net-zero or similar target, unchanged from last year and up from 18% in 2020.
Only 28% of tracked cities and 29% of states and regions had net-zero targets.
Among tracked cities, 68% in the G7 had targets, compared with 30% in the G20 and 5% in low-income countries.
The report said 64% of the world’s largest companies had net-zero targets, and almost 80% of those companies also published implementation plans.
- Who
- Net Zero Tracker, which assessed countries, states and regions, cities and the world’s largest companies.
- What
- Its latest stocktake found that net-zero targets were steady overall, while cities and regions remained behind.
- When
- Published on 6 November 2026.
- Where
- Worldwide, across the entities tracked by the report.
- Why
- The report said cities and regions need powers and finance to embed net zero across transport, buildings and energy.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The share of tracked entities with a net-zero or similar target stood at 18%.
Almost 80% of companies with net-zero targets published implementation plans, up from 69% in 2025, according to the report’s comparison.
Net Zero Tracker published its latest stocktake report.
- Tracked entities
- 4,062
- Net-zero or similar targets
- 47% (1,926 entities)
- Cities with targets
- 28%
- States and regions with targets
- 29%
- Largest companies with targets
- 64%, representing around $40 trillion in annual revenue
- Cities in low-income countries with targets
- 5%
What people are saying
Net-zero currently resembles a bridge with a missing middle: national governments have set the direction, and businesses are turning targets into plans.
The real test is whether targets change investment decisions, business models, and emissions trajectories.