COP26 Made Net Zero a Core Business Principle. Here’s How Leaders Can Act

Source: McKinsey 
Authors: Harry Bowcott, Daniel Pacthod, and Dickon Pinner 
Image: McKinsey 

“The moment has shifted: net-zero commitments are now the norm. But the demand for solutions and systems to meet those goals exceeds the supply. To respond, companies must focus on five fundamentals.” — Article by Harry Bowcott, Daniel Pacthod, and Dickon Pinner. 

Even as the delegates of COP26 concluded their negotiations, it became clear that the climate commitments made in Glasgow will reshape the global business agenda. There was great hope that COP26 would be the moment when the world acted on the goals of the Paris Agreement. Debate continues on whether the official talks were sufficient. However, focusing solely on those developments misses a broader story that unfolded at COP26, where public, private, and cross-sector promises signaled a clear direction toward net zero. 

In hundreds of conversations in Glasgow, executives told us and our colleagues that they anticipate an acceleration in climate action across the real economy: at the systems level, across industries, and within organizations.