United for Net Zero: Public-Private Collaboration to Accelerate Industry Decarbonization
The window to limit global warming to 1.5°C is closing rapidly. In this scenario, accelerating the decarbonization of industry – responsible for 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – is more urgent than ever. However, the current pace and scale of emissions reduction remain insufficient. While companies are adopting measures to cut emissions, barriers to buy-in, carbon calculation, mitigation across value chains and green business growth hinder their efforts.
The window to limit global warming to 1.5°C is closing rapidly. In this scenario, accelerating the decarbonization of industry – responsible for 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – is more urgent than ever. However, the current pace and scale of emissions reduction remain insufficient. While companies are adopting measures to cut emissions, barriers to buy-in, carbon calculation, mitigation across value chains and green business growth hinder their efforts.
This white paper explores how businesses can overcome these barriers and accelerate the transition to net zero by cooperating more closely with public stakeholders. It introduces a framework of eight opportunities for public-private collaboration, including through public financial mechanisms, facilitating carbon tracking adoption, harmonizing carbon accounting standards, implementing net-zero solutions across value chains and co-investing in climate technologies and market creation. Backed by insights from over 60 senior leaders and 11 global case studies, the framework demonstrates effective strategies for structuring the dialogue between private and public sector stakeholders and serves as a practical roadmap for businesses looking to engage in public-private collaboration to accelerate decarbonization.
By addressing systemic barriers to net zero through collaboration, governments and businesses can drive innovation and advance sustainable economic growth.