Rumors of corporate net-zero's death have been greatly exaggerated. Despite the noise about companies backing away from climate commitments, the latest data tells a completely different story. Around 2,200 companies now have validated science-based net-zero targets as of 2025, with another 2,800 in the pipeline working to set theirs. That's not a retreat: that's momentum. eBay just joined the club in January 2026, unveiling a comprehensive plan to hit net-zero across its entire value chain by 2045, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The SBTi isn't sitting still either. They've been actively strengthening the framework with an updated Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2, which wrapped up its second round of public consultation in December 2025. The new version offers more flexibility with multiple pathways for emissions reductions, clearer rules for carbon credits, and refined metrics across all three emissions scopes. The final standard should drop by spring 2026, and companies are being encouraged to adopt it for their target-setting. Companies with current validated targets can keep setting goals through 2027, then transition to Version 2.0 from 2028 onward.
Here's where it gets interesting: the quality of these pledges is actually improving. Research from the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor shows that while early pledges were pretty vague, more companies are now committing to reduce emissions by at least 90% from a baseline year. That's a serious number. But: and this is a big but: there's still a legitimacy gap. Independent research reveals that only a small fraction of companies are actually aligning their spending with net-zero priorities, meaning emissions targets are often running way ahead of actual investments in decarbonization.
So are corporate net-zero targets dead? Not even close. They're evolving, growing, and getting more rigorous. The real question isn't whether companies are setting targets: it's whether they're putting their money where their mouths are. The data shows the framework is alive and well, but the gap between ambition and action remains the industry's biggest challenge heading into 2026.
Category: Companies
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