Beyond Net Zero: How can firms deliver rapid climate action in the 2020s?

BusinessGreen staff
clock • 2 min read

VIDEO: BusinessGreen hosts a discussion alongside top figures from WWF, IKEA and H&M Group on how to accelerate climate action in this crucial 'decade of delivery'

The global economy is at a defining moment in its efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Ensuring that the world reduces the worst impacts of climate change and does not go beyond 1.5C of warming will require far reaching and unprecedented changes across society. The science is clear that the next few years are crucial as the risks of climate change and nature loss continue to escalate and the window for meeting global climate goals closes.

The corporate sector has a central role to play in rapidly reducing total emissions from their business in line with validated science-based targets. Companies are facing increased stakeholder pressure from shareholders, customers, investors, policymakers, and civil society organisations, to develop and deliver credible net zero strategies.

These pressures will only continue to intensify in the coming years, but many businesses and investors remain understandably uncertain as to how to engineer such a fundamental, rapid, and unprecedented transformation, while also delivering on their wider commercial goals.

In an effort to increase ambition and support companies in their net zero transition plans, WWF has unveiled its vision of what true corporate leadership looks in a report - Beyond Net-Zero: A business pathway to spur urgent climate action towards 2030 published last week. This guidance aims to highlight best practice in corporate climate leadership, by going beyond standard leadership declarations and showcasing the actions we need if we want to keep on track for 1.5-degrees. It was developed to aid companies in their sustainability journey and provide guidance that can help firms deliver on ambitious and credible net zero goals.

To discuss the report and provide further unique insight into WWF and its partners' work to establish a template for businesses to follow through to 2030, as well as real-world examples of what net zero best practices look like, BusinessGreen co-hosted a webinar last week bringing together leading corporate sustainability executives from H&M and IKEA alongside WWF's chief economic Karen Ellis.

Chaired by BusinessGreen's editor in chief James Murray, the hour-long webinar discussion - which featured H&M Group's green investment project manager Kim Hellstrom and Inter IKEA Group's head of climate Andreas Ahrens - can be watched back again in full above.

This webinar was supported by WWF.

The report - 'Beyond Net-Zero: A business pathway to spur urgent climate action towards 2030' - can be accessed here.

More on Management

Ricoh sets higher 2030 climate target in revamped net zero strategy

Ricoh sets higher 2030 climate target in revamped net zero strategy

Japanese electronics giant sets new SBTi-validated goal to slash its Scopes 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 75 per cent compared to 2015 levels

clock 10 April 2026 • 2 min read
SBTi: Corporate climate target-setting grew 40 per cent worldwide in 2025

SBTi: Corporate climate target-setting grew 40 per cent worldwide in 2025

Asia emerges as centre of gravity for science-based and net zero goals last year, as almost 10,000 firms started 2026 with targets validated by the non-profit standards-setter

Stuart Stone
clock 09 April 2026 • 3 min read
Was 2025 really the year of climate retreat? The data tells a different story

Was 2025 really the year of climate retreat? The data tells a different story

Corporate climate target-setting has reached critical mass and is now stronger than ever in scale, writes SBTi CEO David Kennedy

David Kennedy, Science Based Targets initiative
clock 09 April 2026 • 4 min read