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Current Status and Trends
Section 2
Many countries have signalled an intention to achieve net 
zero GHG or net zero CO2 emissions by around mid-century 
(Cross-Section Box.1). More than 100 countries have either adopted, 
announced or are discussing net zero GHG or net zero CO2 emissions 
commitments, covering more than two-thirds of global GHG emissions. 
A growing number of cities are setting climate targets, including net zero 
GHG targets. Many companies and institutions have also announced 
net zero emissions targets in recent years. The various net zero emission 
pledges differ across countries in terms of scope and speciﬁcity, and 
limited policies are to date in place to deliver on them. {WGIII SPM C.6.4, 
WGIII TS.4.1, WGIII Table TS.1, WGIII 13.9, WGIII 14.3, WGIII 14.5} 
All mitigation strategies face implementation challenges, 
including technology risks, scaling, and costs (high conﬁdence). 
Almost all mitigation options also face institutional barriers that 
need to be addressed to enable their application at scale (medium 
conﬁdence). Current development pathways may create behavioural, 
spatial, economic and social barriers to accelerated mitigation at all 
scales (high conﬁdence). Choices made by policymakers, citizens, the 
private sector and other stakeholders inﬂuence societies’ development 
pathways (high conﬁdence). Structural factors of national circumstances 
and capabilities (e.g., economic and natural endowments, political 
systems and cultural factors and gender considerations) affect the 
breadth and depth of climate governance (medium conﬁdence). The 
extent to which civil society actors, political actors, businesses, youth, 
labour, media, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities are engaged 
inﬂuences political support for climate change mitigation and eventual 
policy outcomes (medium conﬁdence).