Ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit, 27 companies with a combined market capitalisation of $1.2tr have committed to set 1.5C climate targets aligned with a net-zero future, challenging governments to match their ambition.

The companies include AstraZeneca, BT, Levi Strauss & Co, SAP, Telefonica, Unilever, Vodafone and Zurich Insurance amongst others, collectively representing over one million employees from 15 sectors and more than 15 countries.

“Climate leadership has never been more important than it is right now, and it is inspiring to see so many diverse companies and brands boldly raising their ambitions,” said Lise Kingo, CEO and executive director of the UN Global Compact. “Leading companies are already proving that 1.5C-compliant climate targets are possible, and I encourage all businesses to seize this opportunity to position themselves at the forefront of this movement and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

The companies are committed to setting science-based targets through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which independently assesses corporate emissions reduction targets against the latest climate science. To date, 600 of the world’s largest businesses are setting science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreement.

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