Commitments towards net-zero carbon emission cannot be a mere public relations exercise and if one wants to win the fight against climate change it is imperative to have zero tolerance for greenwashing, said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the ongoing COP27 summit.

“We must have zero tolerance for net-zero greenwashing,” said the Secretary-General.

He made the remarks at the launch of a put out by Net-Zero Expert Group.

The report slams greenwashing – misleading the public to believe that a company or entity is doing more to protect the environment than it is – and weak net-zero pledges and provides a roadmap to bring integrity to net-zero commitments by industry, financial institutions, cities and regions and to support a global, equitable transition to a sustainable future.

Greenwashing is when a company misleads the public to believe it is doing more to protect the environment than it is actually doing.

Calling the report, a how-to guide to ensure credible, accountable net-zero pledges, he explained that it provides clarity in four key areas — environmental integrity, credibility, accountability, and the role of governments.

“Solving the climate crisis requires strong political leadership. I urge all government leaders to provide non-state entities with a level playing field to transition to a just, net-zero future,” a United Nations statement quoted the Secretary-General as saying.

 Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, the world has seen an increasing number of net-zero commitments and pledges from the private and financial sectors and local governments.

This year’s COP27 Is an effort to build on previous successes and pave the way for effectively tackling global climate change.