New Bloomberg Resource Lights Paths to a Net-Zero CO2 Future

NetZero Pathfinders platform surfaces dozens of proven, actionable policies ready to scale globally
Oct 22, 2021 4:10 PM ET
Campaign: Bloomberg & COP

Originally posted on bloomberg.com

NEW YORK and LONDON, October 22, 2021 /3BL Media/ - With 13 days to go until the critical next round of international climate talks, Bloomberg has launched a new online resource specifically intended to help policymakers find concrete, actionable solutions to address the climate crisis.

The NetZero Pathfinders platform leverages the expertise of BloombergNEF (BNEF), Bloomberg LP, Bloomberg Philanthropies and its partner organizations to offer a select, easily searchable catalog of policy ideas that have proven effective in cities, states and countries around the world. Through the site and an accompanying report, the initiative aims to illuminate paths to a net-zero future for policymakers needing to take action on climate.

“Setting ambitious net-zero goals is an important step for government and business leaders, and taking action to reach them is even more critical. Our NetZero Pathfinders platform is designed to help. The effort will provide leaders in both the public and private sectors with proven strategies and solutions to reduce carbon emissions,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions. “When we take action at every level, we can make a real difference in the fight against climate change.”

With the volume and severity of extreme weather events growing and the planet warming, the existential threat of climate change can seem overwhelming and unconquerable. But around the world, policymakers have been implementing ideas in their jurisdictions that are now ready to go global. Pathfinders categorizes these efforts under four ‘pillars of net-zero strategies’:

  • Accelerate deployment of mature climate solutions
  • Support the development of new climate solutions
  • Manage the transition or phase-out carbon-intensive activities
  • Create appropriate climate transition governance structures

Launched at the BNEF Summit London NetZero Pathfinders identifies six major stakeholder groups affected by climate change who, alongside policy makers, are central to addressing it. Four are the largest CO2-emitting sectors of the global economy – energy, industry/materials, transportation and agriculture. The other two are the financial services community and civil society.

Pathfinders details 50 solutions to address these pillars that policymakers and others can implement today to progress in the race to net zero. These solutions also address the longer-term challenge of decarbonizing harder-to-abate sectors post-2030.

Contributing organizations to NetZero Pathfinders include the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Seoul Metropolitan Government, The Commonwealth Secretariat, Climate Finance Leadership Initiative (CFLI), Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Ashden, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, and C40 Cities.

All respective resources are available via the Pathfinders website at: www.bloomberg.com/netzeropathfinders. The NetZero Pathfinders Status Report, which explains the platform’s approach is publicly available here https://bloomberg.com/netzeropathfinders/report.

Since there is no single path to decarbonization and solutions can vary widely by sector or jurisdiction, the NetZero Pathfinders platform is structured as a flexible and ongoing framework that can continually evolve. NetZero Pathfinders encourages engagement from all types of stakeholders and invites further examples of progress in the race to zero. To learn more or to share your success stories, reach out to: pathfinders@bloomberg.net.