Almost a year on, a backlash against net zero is gathering momentum, with political shifts and corporate recalculations reshaping the global climate agenda. What once appeared to be a settled direction for economic transition is now facing growing resistance across sectors and geographies.
An increasing number of companies have begun retreating from, delaying, or watering down their commitments to cut carbon emissions, instead prioritising short-term shareholder returns amid economic uncertainty. From retailers to banks and carmakers, net zero targets that were once marketed as non-negotiable are being quietly revised or abandoned.
In the UK, the political consensus that helped make Britain the first major economy to enshrine net zero into law in 2019 has begun to fracture. The rise of Reform UK has altered the climate policy debate, while earlier this year, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch formally dropped net zero by 2050 as party policy. Even Labour has found itself on the defensive, after criticism from former prime minister Tony Blair, highlighting the increasingly contested nature of climate commitments.
This week, major players in the retail and automotive sectors became the latest to soften their climate pledges. This retreat carries profound implications for emissions reduction at a time when scientific warnings are becoming more urgent.
Yet this trend is not universal. Several countries, most notably China, continue to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy. Renewable power generation there has now surpassed coal, marking a significant milestone in the global energy transition. According to the International Energy Agency, annual investment in clean energy has reached $2 trillion (£1.5 trillion) — double the investment flowing into fossil fuels.
The contrast is striking. As political and economic pressures reshape priorities in some regions, others are doubling down on the transition. The question now facing policymakers and business leaders alike is whether this pullback from net zero represents a temporary pause driven by short-term pressures or the start of a deeper and more consequential retreat from climate responsibility. Read More
News Credit: The Guardian
Picture Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images