Why Net Zero Pledges Stall: Fix the Carbon Data First

Reviewed by Viveck J. Suman on 6 November 2026

Quick answer: Net zero pledges stall mainly when a company sets a target before it has a reliable emissions baseline. Without audited Scope 1, 2 and 3 data, nobody can say whether the plan is on track. The Net Zero Tracker’s 2025 stocktake found that about two thirds of the largest listed companies with net zero targets back them with plans, which leaves the rest with a headline and no roadmap.

What the data says

• As of September 2025, at least 1,935 of the 4,083 entities tracked in the Net Zero Tracker database had net zero targets.
• Among Forbes Global 2000 companies with net zero targets, 860 of 1,245 had plans behind them.
• The Tracker’s authors describe the robustness of targets as low and collective progress as too slow.

The stocktake assesses how strong targets are, not whether they are being delivered. Delivery has to be measured with your own data.

Four reasons pledges stall

1. No baseline year. Without one, progress cannot be measured.
2. Scope 3 left out. For many companies the value chain is the largest share of emissions.
3. Data held in disconnected files. Utility bills, supplier data and fuel records are not reconciled.
4. No owner. Finance, operations and sustainability each hold part of the data.

What standards now expect

The Science Based Targets initiative published Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0 on 11 June 2026. Reports describe a shift from setting targets to implementing them, with governance, board accountability and transition planning. Companies with existing targets are being given a transition period, so check SBTi’s own guidance for your dates.

A first 90 days plan

1. Fix a base year and an organisational boundary.
2. Collect Scope 1 and 2 with source documents attached.
3. Screen Scope 3 by category and quantify the largest.
4. Name one owner and one review date for the inventory.

Frequently asked questions

Can we set a net zero target before the inventory is complete? You can, but the target will be hard to defend. Build the baseline first.

Is Excel enough? For many Indian companies, yes, if each figure has a source and a method note.

Where do I learn the method? Our GHG Accounting Bootcamp teaches Scope 1, 2 and 3 in Excel.

Sources: Net Zero Tracker, Net Zero Stocktake 2025; Science Based Targets initiative; GHG Protocol. Last checked 6 November 2026.