With over 78% of Fortune 500 companies setting climate targets*, the race to net zero is on. But as investors increasingly seek to align portfolios with a sustainable future and mitigate emerging risks, the key question remains—are these companies delivering on their climate goals, or are they hot air?  

Watch the recent discussion between Alex Clark, Research Director at Asset Impact and Joe McCabe, CEO of AutoForecast Solutions on the realities behind corporate climate commitments. They pinpoint the challenges in existing strategies to assess credibility, and showcase how forward-looking, asset-based data can provide the level of clarity investors need. Through real-world examples, emerging trends, and a deep dive into the automotive sector, learn how investors can leverage data-driven, independent insights to inform strategic decision-making and stay ahead of the transition.

Top takeaways

1. Investors are struggling to assess the credibility of corporate climate commitments

A study in Nature Climate Change found that around 40% of corporate climate targets set in recent years either fail or disappear. Corporate targets and regulatory expectations alone are rarely a sufficiently reliable guide to evaluate the credibility of company transition plans, leaving investors with significant gaps in assessing climate risks.

2. Asset-based data provides a more transparent, reliable and realistic approach

Data built on actual CapEx plans can help investors to overcome the challenges of incomplete coverage, inconsistent reporting, and unreliable corporate targets. This approach enables a clearer and more detailed assessment of companies’ real climate performance, both today and in the future.

3. The automotive industry is both consolidated and highly volatile  

Despite being highly consolidated, the automotive industry has also been extremely volatile in recent years. This means that more than ever, investors and lenders need to stay on top of trends and look at up-to-date granular data with an analytical lens.

4. Average emissions across the industry are falling worryingly slowly with only a handful of companies falling within IEA’s net zero scenario pathway

Average emissions intensities are expected to fall to 110g/km by 2030 – less than a 30% decline from 2024. This is alarmingly slow considering the range of ICE bans coming into effect in the coming years. But at the same time significant hurdles to growing the EV market remain, including price, range, and infrastructure.

*Source: World Economic Forum, 2025. New reports chart pathways for nature-positive transformation across key industries and cities.

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