Net zero checklist

1. Does your business sustainably reduce, avoid or naturally remove greenhouse gas emissions? Is it part of?Exponential Roadmap?to halve emissions by 2030.?Project Drawdown’s 81 sustainable climate solutions to reverse global warming?One Earth Climate Model?for carbon neutrality by 2035–2040?
2. Is your country/region/city/community on a path to achieve 100% renewable energy? At?The Solutions Project?you can discover the projected 100% renewable energy mix for 143 countries and 50 US states, including co-benefits such as for human health, jobs and lower energy costs
3. Are your investments helping or not to get to net zero? Despite the rise of sustainable investing (Swiss Sustainable Finance lists 14 low-carbon finance instruments) investments are still contributing to more than 2°C warming (e.g. a?Swiss government November 2020?study of Swiss financial institutions found that “Overall, the Swiss financial market still invests in the further expansion of oil production and coal mining…(and) 80 % of participants are still invested in coal mining companies today”)
4. Is your pension fund divesting from high carbon and investing in low carbon and natural carbon capture to achieve net zero? Recent climate ratings?of Swiss Pension funds shows that 93% of Swiss pension fund capital is incompatible with the Paris accord to limit global warming to well within 2°C and achieve net zero by 2050.

Net zero investment recommendations

1. Progressively invest exclusively in what is compatible with a 1.5°C pathway:?Exponential Roadmap?to halve emissions by 2030.?Project Drawdown’s 81 sustainable climate solutions.?One Earth Climate Model?for carbon neutrality by 2035–2040.?The Solutions Project?for energy and energy use
2. Balance investments between avoiding, reducing and removing greenhouse gases and are SDG positive (once trade offs are considered)
3. Balance between investments that give short term results (e.g clean energy) and longer term results (e.g. sustainable forestry on degraded/marginal land).
4. At a macro investment level there need to be sufficient levels of investment in all sustainable climate solutions to achieve the desired impact on global warming
5. Inset rather than offset carbon by owning or investing in climate solution assets (e.g. solar panels, sustainable forestry)