NewClimate Institute is partnering with Carbon Market Watch to address key gaps in the evolving landscape of corporate climate pledges and voluntary carbon market activities. Our objective is to develop robust, evidence-based research and advocacy to help facilitate credible, transparent corporate climate action and pledges that are underpinned by an integrous voluntary carbon market.

The project engages in a number of initiatives to provide contributions as independent experts to the evolution of corporate climate pledges, with a particular focus on the approach of voluntary actors to address the emissions caused by their activities.

A key aspect of the work, led by the NewClimate team, is the annual Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor, which sheds light on a range of voluntary climate strategies, showcasing ambitious action as well as highlighting where existing commitments fall short. In a related project, NewClimate assessed Dutch companies’ and financial institutions’ climate pledges. There is growing awareness of the important role corporates can play in fighting climate change amongst consumers, shareholders, and regulators in the Netherlands. In a landmark ruling last year, a Dutch court found that Shell’s climate policies violated its “duty of care” for Dutch citizens and ordered it to set more ambitious emission reduction targets. Similarly, the Dutch advertising standards watchdog requested Shell and KLM to refrain from potentially misleading climate neutrality claims. Increased scrutiny and enhanced dialogue in the Netherlands may lead Dutch companies to significantly improve the transparency and integrity of their action, and to demonstrate climate leadership on the global stage.