The Net Zero Initiative Launches Its Third Work Cycle for 2021–2022

Created by Carbone 4 in 2018 in collaboration with some 20 pioneering companies and a panel of French and international experts, the Net Zero Initiative (NZI) project has, from its inception, straddled the intersection of climate science and the business world. It works to define ambitious climate action for companies seeking to commit to global net-zero.

In April 2020, Carbone 4 published the Net Zero Initiative Framework and laid the groundwork for a novel approach to the concept of “net-zero emissions” at the corporate level. The results of this work enabled NZI to assert that corporate climate action must proceed along several parallel tracks: reducing the company’s own greenhouse gas emissions (A), preventing emissions by others (B), and developing carbon sinks (C).

For the Net Zero Initiative, it is the responsibility of companies to contribute, at the appropriate level, to global and national net-zero goals by acting with sufficient ambition across each of these three areas.

The proceedings of the second edition of NZI, which brought together twelve companies and some thirty experts from leading French organizations (I4CE, ADEME, IDDRI, etc.) and international organizations (UNFCCC, Oxford University, WRI, etc.), have resulted in proposals for measuring Pillar B and for setting targets for Pillar C.

Today, the Net Zero Initiative is launching its third phase of work, in collaboration with ADEME, the Ministry of Ecological Transition, and 16 companies.

This new edition will focus on issues related to method and communication.

On the methodological front, the topic of avoided emissions (Pillar B) will take center stage. Three sector-specific working groups (building, transportation, and energy production) will work to define standardized rules for calculating emissions avoided by the main products and services in these sectors. They will also seek to define the emissions-avoidance target that must be set to be consistent with the Paris Agreement. NZI will also work on the issue of carbon removal (Pillar C), clarify the measurement of carbon sinks, and develop a tool to easily calculate carbon removal targets.

On the section communication, the NZI team will continue to promote the key principles of the framework by maintaining dialogue with various French and international initiatives, such as the ISO “Carbon Neutrality” standard and the GHG Protocol on Carbon Removals. Specific work on communication related to an NZI-compliant climate strategy (commitment claims, performance reports, etc.) will also be carried out.

The work carried out during this edition will be followed by a publication summarizing the recommendations adopted by the working groups, thereby enabling an update to the Net Zero Initiative framework.