Race To Zero Campaign
Race_to Zero_Logo
RtZ_logo

Race To Zero is a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth.

It mobilizes a coalition of leading net-zero initiatives, representing 11,309 non-State actors including 8,307 companies, 595 financial institutions, 1,136 cities, 52 states and regions, 1,125 educational institutions and 65 healthcare institutions (as of September 2022). These ‘real economy’ actors join the largest-ever alliance committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest. 

Led by the High-Level Champions, Race to Zero mobilizes actors outside of national governments to join the Climate Ambition Alliance, which was launched at the UNSG’s Climate Action Summit 2019 by the President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera.

The objective is to build momentum around the shift to a decarbonized economy, where governments must strengthen their contributions to the Paris Agreement. This will send governments a resounding signal that business, cities, regions and investors are united in meeting the Paris goals and creating a more inclusive and resilient economy.

For more information, please check this page.

 

 

How to join Race to Zero

How to join as an initiative or network: Towards COP26, the High-Level Champions engaged with new coalitions and initiatives that match Race to Zero’s ‘minimum criteria’. Following the recent Criteria Review Process, these criteria have been updated, and more information can be found here.
If you are planning on applying to become a partner please use the updated application form here.  With either application form, please submit a list of your members and send to: RaceToZero@unfccc.int

How to join as an actor: Individual actors (such as regions, cities, businesses and investors) are invited to join an initiative or network, which is an official Race to Zero partner. By joining one of the partners they will be directly included in Race to Zero.

Minimum criteria required for participation in the Race to Zero campaign

Defining the “Starting Line”

The High-level Climate Champions require that the commitments brought forward by networks and initiatives recognized in the Race to Zero campaign meet a minimum set of procedural criteria. 

These process criteria represent the “Starting Line” for the race, so meeting them does not necessarily imply that an actor is on track to net zero, only that they have begun the process.

These ‘meta-criteria’ are known as the Five ’P’s:

  1. Pledge: Pledge at the head-of-organisation level to reach (net) zero GHGs as soon as possible, and by 2050 at the latest, in line with the scientific consensus on the global effort needed to limit warming to 1.5C with no or limited overshoot, recognising that this requires phasing down and out all unabated fossil fuels as part of a global, just transition. Set an interim target to achieve in the next decade, which reflects maximum effort toward or beyond a fair share of the 50% global reduction in CO2 by 2030. Targets must cover all greenhouse gas emissions: 1) Including scopes 1, 2 and 3 for businesses and other organisations; 2) Including all territorial emissions for cities and regions; 3) For financial entities, including all portfolio/financed/facilitated/insured emissions; 4) Including land-based emissions.
  2. Plan: Within 12 months of joining, publicly disclose a Transition Plan, City/Region Plan, or equivalent which outlines how all other Race to Zero criteria will be met, including what actions will be taken within the next 12 months, within 2-3 years, and by 2030.
  3. Proceed: Take immediate action through all available pathways toward achieving (net) zero, consistent with delivering your interim targets. Where relevant, contribute to sectoral breakthroughs. 
  4. Publish: Report publicly progress against both interim and longer-term targets, as well as the actions being taken, at least annually. Report in a standardised, open format, and via platforms that feed into the UNFCCC Global Climate Action Portal.
  5. Persuade: Within 12 months of joining, align external policy and engagement, including membership in associations, to the goal of halving emissions by 2030 and reaching global (net) zero by 2050.

To understand these criteria in more depth, please see our Interpretation Guide.

To help with understanding the various terms used, please see our Lexicon.

Content