How to Think Beyond Net Zero: Strategy Report

Pressure is mounting for companies to develop and implement climate strategies. This call to action comes from a growing list of both internal and external stakeholders – employees, investors, customers, civil society, other companies, government, and more. And, increasingly, climate strategies are being scrutinized to ensure good faith, viability, and adherence to rigorous standards. As a result of this scrutiny, more companies are looking to go beyond conventional approaches to elevate true impact over ineffectual claims.

Instead of assuming conventional frameworks like "net-zero" are optimal, we explore the following question: given a set of available resources, how can a business maximize its climate impact? This new framing allows for nuance, creativity, and the reality that, in some instances, carbon accounting may limit the impact of a company’s strategy. While each company will inevitably face its own set of challenges and constraints when devising a climate plan, it will also have a unique set of opportunities.

In this white paper, we provide 4 concrete, high-impact strategies your business can take to maximize its climate impact.

Do you work for a company that is considering a “beyond net zero” climate strategy?

We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with us here.

This report was released in January 2023 and lightly updated in March 2024.