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City–company collaboration towards aligned science-based target setting

Author

Listed:
  • Şiir Kılkış

    (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye
    Middle East Technical University)

  • Anders Bjørn

    (Technical University of Denmark)

  • Xuemei Bai

    (Australian National University)

  • Jianguo Liu

    (Michigan State University)

  • Gail Whiteman

    (University of Exeter Business School)

  • Beatrice Crona

    (Stockholm Resilience Center Stockholm University
    Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences)

  • Lauren Seaby Andersen

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Member of the Leibniz Association)

  • Syezlin Hasan

    (Griffith University)

  • Varsha Vijay

    (Science Based Targets Network and University of Tennessee)

  • Oscar Sabag

    (Science Based Targets Network)

Abstract

Cities and companies have great potential to reduce pressures on Earth system boundaries. Science-based target setting has emerged as a powerful tool to help achieve the potential, but its uptake has been limited. Moreover, cities and companies usually develop their targets separately, even though many are co-located. Focusing on the top 200 cities and 500 companies by greenhouse gas emissions, we analyse the current state and potential of adopting science-based targets for climate. Of these key actors, 110 cities with existing net-zero targets and 22 companies with existing science-based targets could together eliminate up to 3.41 GtCO2e of annual emissions. We argue that this reduction potential could increase by as much as 67% (to 5.70 GtCO2e) if the cities and companies that already have targets bring their co-located counterparts on board to keep abreast of their ambitions. Using freshwater as another example, we discuss entry points for addressing interrelated Earth system boundaries through city–company collaborations. Our findings elucidate previously untapped potentials that could accelerate transformations for operating within Earth system boundaries.

Suggested Citation

  • Şiir Kılkış & Anders Bjørn & Xuemei Bai & Jianguo Liu & Gail Whiteman & Beatrice Crona & Lauren Seaby Andersen & Syezlin Hasan & Varsha Vijay & Oscar Sabag, 2025. "City–company collaboration towards aligned science-based target setting," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 54-65, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:8:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41893-024-01473-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01473-w
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