Taskforce on Net Zero Policy releases landmark COP30 report

• Report is a practical guide that highlights policies supporting a credible net zero transition by companies and financial institutions – and unlocks opportunities to share across the G20 and beyond.
• Contrary to narratives of climate fatigue and policy rollback, progress has continued across most regions over the past year, albeit unevenly, with the centre of gravity shifting towards Asia Pacific and the Global South, amid US rollback and EU recalibration.
• Report finds regulators and policymakers in most G20 countries remain on the net zero reform journey – despite headwinds – but must act faster, more jointly and more decisively.
• Stabilising warming to 1.5ºC remains within long-term reach – even if temporarily exceeded – but report demands accelerated and better coordinated action by governments to enable companies and financial institutions to deliver on the transition.
• A temporary overshoot also implies a greater role for carbon removals and underscores the urgency of integrating resilience, nature and climate mitigation into coherent policy and investment strategies.

Belém, Brazil; Tuesday 11th November 2025 – Today, on the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the Taskforce on Net Zero Policy (TNZP) launches its flagship COP30 report, “Policy Matters: From pledges to delivery – A decade after Paris.” The report provides the most comprehensive independent global update of net zero policy progress, gaps and suggested best practice for governments, companies and financial institutions. A practical guide for corporate and financial policymakers, it is being launched at the Spanish and the UN Global Compact Pavilions in Belém, Brazil, on Tuesday 11th November, day two of COP30.

Since the Paris Agreement, the world’s climate policy landscape has transformed beyond recognition. The number of targeted net zero regulations in G20 countries has tripled since 2020, with over 1,000 policy instruments now in place to steer companies and financial institutions towards credible net zero pathways. Following recent policy reversals in the US and recalibration in the EU, the centre of gravity for climate policy is shifting to the Global South and Asia Pacific, where regional innovation and ambition are accelerating the global agenda, according to Oxford Climate Policy Monitor.

Contrary to narratives of climate fatigue and policy rollback, the report finds that policy development globally has remained steady since COP29, but we are seeing the centre of gravity for policy ambition and innovation shift towards the global south and APAC. Over 60% of global GDP is now covered by jurisdictions adopting or progressing towards ISSB-aligned disclosure standards and nearly 60 sustainable finance taxonomies are in development. Climate litigation has surged by 250% since 2017, holding companies and governments to account and driving more robust legal and regulatory frameworks, as the world moves from climate pledges to delivery.

As the world marks a decade since Paris, the Taskforce’s Co-Chair, Helena Viñes Fiestas, said: “This is not a moment for despondency. We have the tools, the technologies, and the commitments. At a time of rising political uncertainty, bold, system-wide policy action is essential to limit the scale and duration of the 1.5°C overshoot — and to reduce its economic and human cost. Now is the time to redouble our efforts, with determination and deliberate action. COP30 in Brazil is a vital opportunity to put the Paris Agreement back on track and chart a credible path to mobilising the $1.3 trillion needed annually in climate finance by 2035.”

Stabilising 1.5ºC as a goal requires policymakers, corporates and financial institutions to operationalise net zero, keeping integrity and ambition high through robust transition planning, high-integrity carbon markets and integrating resilience, nature and social justice into transition strategies. The report calls for:

• Integrated, granular policy frameworks that enable transition planning by companies and financial institutions in line with transparent, economy-wide net-zero goals and interim climate targets
• Resilience-focused policies that embed adaptation, nature restoration and just transition as core elements, especially as physical risks escalate.
• Policies to support high-integrity carbon credit markets through rules on generation, exchange, and use to scale carbon removal and enhance safeguards and opportunities for host countries.
• Enhanced accountability and transparency, including mandatory disclosures, third-party verification and stronger governance.

The report highlights the critical role of national governments to set and implement targets through for instance Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). Despite progress, policy signals are altogether still too fragmented, and therefore not sufficiently enabling action from companies and financial institutions. Companies are also being increasingly caught between intensifying climate litigation and a rapidly expanding sphere of climate policymaking and regulation.

The report finds that lobbying by fossil fuel interests has intensified, with evidence of “successful” influence on policy. The Taskforce calls for greater transparency and disclosure of lobbying practices, particularly through trade associations, aligning with investor and public expectations for responsible corporate engagement.

The report emphasises that carbon dioxide removals are essential tools for achieving net zero, especially to address any overshoot of the 1.5°C target. Governments are urged to support high-integrity, high-durability removals and integrate them into national and international frameworks.

Looking ahead, the Taskforce identifies three priorities for the road to COP31:

• Assess the effectiveness of key policies and tools, drawing lessons from implementation to improve design and competitiveness.
• Foster learning and collaboration across jurisdictions, enhancing interoperability and facilitating cross-border financial flows.
• Analyse coherence between sustainable finance and real economy measures, ensuring that policy frameworks drive real decarbonisation and resilience.

The Taskforce is an initiative established at COP28 (2023) to further the aims of the High‑Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities (HLEG). The HLEG was established in 2022 to develop stronger and clearer standards for net zero emissions pledges by non-state entities – including businesses, investors, cities and regions – and to speed up their implementation. This updated report builds upon the Taskforce’s COP29 (2024) reports that assessed G20 climate policy progress and highlighted good practice across different instruments and regions.^[1] [2]

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Chair of the United Nations High‑Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non‑State Entities, said of the report: “The Taskforce on Net Zero Policy has once again produced a critical window into how climate policies continue to grow and mature around the world despite myriad challenges. This is critical for non-state actors who rely on stable, ambitious and globally comparable signals to make investment and operating decisions. As both reports “Policy Matters: From Pledges to Delivery – A Decade After Paris” and the new “Integrity Matters: Winning the Future” shows, 10 years after the Paris Agreement clean energy growth, policy innovation, and widespread adoption of net zero targets have fundamentally reshaped global energy trends. This is no time to slow down.”

Eric Usher, Head of UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), said: “It is clearer than ever that credible net-zero pathways depend on coherent policy frameworks, which financial institutions need to deliver on their transition plans. The Taskforce’s report shows that progress is under way, but not at the speed required. We encourage policymakers, the finance sector and industry to work together to turn fragmented reforms into an integrated investment agenda that mobilizes capital, supports a just transition and accelerates a net-zero, nature-positive global economy.”

Selwin Hart, Special Adviser and Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Action at United Nations, said: “Policy development to support non-state actors is progressing, mirroring the improved quality and robustness of the NDCs across the developing world. The Policy Matters report shows the centre of gravity is shifting to the Global South and Asia-Pacific.”

Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation (ECF), said: “We cannot solve tomorrow’s problems with yesterday’s tools. This report brings fresh thinking and systemic insight, which is exactly what we need to accelerate the transition and rethink our economic models. It reflects the spirit of the Paris Agreement, and keeps countries to task. As we approach COP30, it’s vital that we move from dialogue to delivery. I welcome this report as a timely and necessary push to turn commitments into action.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Media contact: SEC Newgate UK, Tim Le Couilliard / Sophie Shorthose: taskforceonnetzeropolicy@secnewgate.co.uk

About the Taskforce on Net Zero Policy

The Taskforce on Net Zero Policy was established at COP28 to further the aims of the High‑Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities (HLEG). With a remit to facilitate the HLEG’s recommendations to “accelerate the road to regulation” – in other words, to facilitate the formation of an enabling policy environment which allows non-state actors to facilitate their own shift to a net zero future.

The Taskforce aims to:

• Establish a collaborative space that encourages the sharing of knowledge, practices, and insights among policymakers and regulators.
• Provide research and technical support, particularly in policy areas which support the net zero transition in a way that is consistent with the HLEG recommendations and that also works for companies of all sizes and addresses the needs of middle and low income and the most vulnerable countries.
• Identify opportunities within regulatory frameworks that support the implementation of the HLEG recommendations.

The Taskforce works closely with its Board of Trustees and supported by the Principles for Responsible Investment in a secretariat capacity.