Climate Mitigation (Decarbonisation and Carbon Removals)

Climate Mitigation (Decarbonisation and Carbon Removal): A Getting Started Guide

Faced with the destabilisation of Earth’s climate system, our economy needs rapid decarbonisation. Businesses need to take urgent and credible action on climate if we are to slow down and limit the damages of global heating. Anchored in research, our Climate Mitigation (Decarbonisation and Carbon Removal): A Getting Started Guide aims to support your company develop a credible climate mitigation strategy. It helps build a foundational understanding of the issue and provides clarity on the work ahead.

Science Based Targets

Building on the momentum of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) is a collaboration of 45+ global non-profits and mission-driven organizations working together to develop guidance to set science-based targets for all of Earth’s systems. Science Based Targets has created a five-step target-setting framework that helps you to assess; interpret and prioritise; measure, set, and disclose; act upon; and track your science-based goals. They have also created sector-specific guidance and target monitoring for companies and financial institutions.

At present, Science Based Targets helps companies to develop their goals based on the latest science: SBTi specifically focuses on GHG emission reduction goals, and SBTN specifically focuses on nature positive goals, with target-setting guidance for land, biodiversity, and freshwater. Their respective websites provide comprehensive resources, cases, and support for taking credible action.

Addressing Scope 3: A Start Here Guide

A guide for leaders of companies of all sizes to understand the basics of Scope 3 emissions and how companies should begin to take credible action. The guidance is anchored in the real-world experience of companies that are already navigating this journey.

Degree of Urgency: Accelerating Actions to Keep 1.5°C on the Table

This report from the Energy Transitions Commissions (ETC) assesses progress since COP26 and outlines the priority areas for accelerated action at - and beyond - COP27. The report provides a good summary of the achievements of COP26, the status of our climate budget, the credibility and quality of global climate-related commitments, and the steps required to close the 'gap' in climate-related ambition, implementation, and financing within both sectors and countries. This resource is a good starting point for executives, boards, and junior sustainability change agents that want to get up to speed on the priority areas for accelerated progress on climate action.

The Core Carbon Principles

The Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) are a global benchmark that provide a credible and rigorous means of identifying high-integrity carbon credits. The CCPs were created by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) to help standardise the quality of carbon credits sold on the voluntary market, and were developed through global cooperation from hundreds of key stakeholders and organisations throughout the voluntary carbon market. These 10 principles can help your company to better assess the quality of carbon credits and to ensure that your purchases are having real and verifiable impact on the climate.

The ICVCM has also created a guidebook that features a summary for decision-makers, which presents their assessment framework; their recommended assessment procedure; and an overview of the CCPs and their implementation through the assessment framework.

Just Transition and Renewable Energy: A Business Brief

This business brief from the United Nations Global Compact outlines how your business can support public Just Transition policies. The authors acknowledge that business has a key role to play in ensures that the transition to the low carbon economy is just. The brief provides ten recommendations for how business can support the transition through their policy advocacy. This guidance will be most useful to your Government Affairs or Public Policy team.

The right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment

In August 2022, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution recognising the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a human right. States, international organisations, businesses, and other stakeholders have a responsibility to “scale up efforts” to ensure a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment for all.

Business Guide to Advancing Climate Justice