As the world prepares for the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, KPMG has published its first Net Zero Readiness Index (NZRI). The NZRI is a tool that compares the progress of 32 countries in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, and assesses their preparedness and ability to achieve Net Zero emissions of these gases by 2050.
Net Zero primarily means reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans as close as possible to zero, with remaining emissions balanced by an equivalent amount of carbon removal from the atmosphere. While the main greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, which makes work towards Net Zero carbon the central task, the Index also includes emissions of methane and nitrous oxide.
The NZRI considers 103 indicators for each of the 32 countries. These have been split between national preparedness, which considers a country’s national commitment to decarbonize, its past decarbonization performance and the national enabling environment for decarbonization; and sector readiness, covering electricity and heat, transport, buildings, industry, and agriculture, land use and forestry. The report indicators used in this model are based on data published up to 1 September 2021.
Through this analysis, the 32 participating countries have been grouped into two categories: KPMG’s view of the top-performing 25 countries in the race to Net Zero based on progress to-date and established initiatives; and seven countries to watch where KPMG is seeing significant opportunities to advance their decarbonization efforts.
The NZRI draws on the expertise of KPMG’s global network to analyze each nation’s progress, plans, strengths and challenges, including in specific sectors. It also includes global observations and insights from KPMG specialists, including on how each of the five sectors can continue to move towards Net Zero.
