Global net-zero commitments remained largely stable in 2026 despite growing political opposition and economic uncertainty, according to a new international assessment. The findings suggest that governments and major companies have largely maintained their climate targets, although researchers found substantial weaknesses in how those commitments are being implemented.
The Net Zero Stocktake 2026, released November 6, examined 4,062 national governments, regional authorities, cities and major companies. It found that 1,926 entities, or 47%, had adopted net-zero or similar emissions targets. That proportion was unchanged from 2025 and considerably higher than the 18% recorded in 2020.
Net-Zero Commitments Remain Stable Across Major Companies
Nearly two-thirds of the world’s largest publicly listed companies continue to maintain net-zero targets. The report found that 64% of tracked businesses had such commitments, representing nearly $40 trillion in combined annual revenue.
Despite increased scrutiny of corporate climate policies, targets have not been widely abandoned. Researchers found that 92% of tracked governments and companies retained the same or a similar target status compared with the previous year.
Regional differences remain significant. Among U.S. companies, the share maintaining net-zero targets slipped slightly from 52% to 51%. In China, the proportion increased from 23% to 28%, while European companies continued to demonstrate relatively strong adoption.
The findings also reflect the challenges facing major technology businesses. Companies operating data centers, manufacturing facilities and extensive supply chains must balance rising energy demand with emissions reduction goals. TechAmerica.ai previously reported on Amazon’s difficulties in reaching its 2040 net-zero target, including the need for technologies and industry changes that remain under development.
Corporate Climate Plans Improve, but Accountability Gaps Persist
Although the number of commitments remained relatively unchanged, more companies published plans explaining how they intend to reach their goals. Among businesses with net-zero targets, 78% had disclosed implementation plans, up from 69% in 2025.
Researchers also found that 89% of those companies had established interim emissions targets. These shorter-term milestones are intended to demonstrate progress before the final net-zero deadline, often set for 2040 or 2050.
However, a target does not necessarily mean a company is reducing emissions at the required pace. Only 11% of businesses with net-zero commitments met all seven minimum procedural criteria researchers assessed, up from 7% in 2025.
Another concern involves emissions generated outside companies’ direct operations. At the same time, many corporate targets cover operational emissions and purchased energy; fewer fully address emissions from suppliers, transportation, and product use. These indirect emissions, commonly classified as Scope 3, can represent a substantial share of a company’s environmental footprint.
The assessment also identified 384 major publicly listed companies without any emissions mitigation target. That gap highlights the distinction between businesses that have established climate commitments and those that have yet to adopt measurable reduction objectives.
Researchers Find Signs of Corporate Backtracking
The 2026 assessment introduced a separate examination of changes to climate commitments among the 50 largest companies in the Forbes Global 2000. Researchers found more examples of companies weakening or withdrawing emissions targets than strengthening them.
Some businesses maintained their broader net-zero ambitions while changing the conditions attached to those goals. Others reduced the emissions covered, weakened interim milestones or reframed firm commitments as aspirations.
Such revisions can be hard to spot when companies keep the same headline climate target. The researchers warned that evaluating corporate progress requires examining implementation details rather than simply counting published pledges.
The Net Zero Tracker research consortium also identified examples of businesses withdrawing previously stated goals, while others adopted new commitments. These developments suggest that corporate climate strategies are changing even as the overall global figures remain stable.
Cities and Regional Governments Continue to Lag
National governments have adopted net-zero commitments more widely than local authorities. The report found that 137 of 198 national governments maintained net-zero targets, compared with just 28% of tracked cities and 29% of states and regions.
The disparity matters because local governments influence transportation, buildings, infrastructure and energy systems. Decisions on public transit, urban planning, and electricity use can directly affect emissions, even when national climate policies set broader objectives.
Researchers also found that 73% of existing national net-zero commitments had been incorporated into legislation or formal policy, up from 67% in 2025. However, stronger legal recognition does not automatically translate into sufficient emissions reductions.
A separate United Nations climate assessment previously highlighted the distance between existing policies and international temperature goals. That distinction remains important when evaluating whether stable commitments represent meaningful climate progress.
COP31 Will Put Climate Implementation Under Scrutiny
The findings were published ahead of the COP31 United Nations climate conference, scheduled to begin November 9 in Antalya, Türkiye. The meeting will place renewed attention on whether governments can turn existing climate promises into measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Technology and energy infrastructure will remain important parts of that transition. Renewable electricity, grid modernization, battery storage and industrial electrification can help organizations reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, although deployment requirements differ across industries and countries.
Recent developments in clean electricity also demonstrate how commercial energy decisions intersect with climate commitments. TechAmerica.ai reported that battery storage has become more cost-competitive with gas-fired peaking plants in several markets, potentially strengthening the economic case for some low-carbon electricity investments.
For policymakers and investors, the next challenge is assessing the credibility of existing commitments. That includes tracking interim targets, examining emissions disclosures and identifying whether companies quietly weaken previously announced goals.
The 2026 findings show that net-zero targets have largely survived a difficult political and economic period. Whether those commitments produce meaningful climate results will depend on implementation, transparent reporting and sustained reductions in actual emissions.
