From Fragmented Commitments And Pledges To A Cohesive Force For High Integrity Climate Action

Voluntary climate actions by non-state actors—such as companies and cities—have become a vital part of the global response to climate change. These actions could help tackle some of the biggest global challenges, including achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century while enabling sustainable development globally. However, the full potential of voluntary climate actions can only be achieved when integrity of these actions are ensured. Integrity concerns relate to issues like the quality and credibility of carbon credits, greenwashing, transparency gaps, and inconsistent reporting.   

The Achieving High Integrity Voluntary Climate Action (ACHIEVE) project aims to address these challenges by creating a robust framework to assess the integrity of voluntary climate actions and to enhance their transparency, effectiveness, and trustworthiness. The project was launched in 2024  and is funded under the Horizon Europe research funding program until the end of 2027.  

ACHIEVE is about improving and scaling up voluntary climate actions by businesses, cities, regions, and other subnational and non-state actors, including collaborative initiatives that involve them. To achieve this, the project investigates the rapidly expanding landscape of voluntary climate initiatives, and defines what high-integrity action looks like. It develops ways to assess and improve voluntary climate actions, and explores how different actors, including businesses and cities, should contribute to the global climate and sustainability challenges  

ACHIEVE brings together a diverse group of experts, including universities, research institutions, and NGOs from Europe and beyond. 

The project will investigate voluntary climate actions, including pledges by companies and cities, and collaborative initiatives, using newly developed and improved frameworks to assess integrity. This involves scrutinizing the quality of and claims about use voluntary carbon credits, and net-zero commitments to ensure they truly contribute to emission reductions and further sustainable development, rather than just making empty promises. By evaluating claims by various actors, ACHIEVE will help highlight best practices and offer guidance to boost the credibility and impact of voluntary actions. 

Beyond evaluation, ACHIEVE focuses on refining the design and governance of voluntary climate actions to make them more robust and impactful. This includes, for example, developing recommendations for cities and regions on using innovative tools, such as satellite-based monitoring to improve emissions tracking, or for companies to explore new approaches that go beyond traditional carbon offsetting. The goal is to encourage more ambitious climate actions that deliver real benefits and build trust among stakeholders. Moreover, ACHIEVE will explore how interactions between voluntary climate action and policies by public authorities (e.g. by cities, national governments, international organizations and the European Union) can become mutually reinforcing for further scaling.  

Scaling up is another key aspect of ACHIEVE. The project will work on creating pathways to expand successful voluntary actions and integrate them into broader strategies for achieving net-zero emissions. This also involves integrated assessment models to study the environmental and economic impacts of scaling up voluntary climate action. In addition, the project will develop a roadmap for high-integrity voluntary actions and establish a platform for stakeholders to collaborate, share knowledge, and learn from each other’s experiences.  

ACHIEVE is not only about research. It is also about building trust in voluntary climate actions, and empowering cities, businesses, and other non-state actors to play a crucial role in the global transition to net-zero emissions. By fostering high integrity voluntary climate action, ACHIEVE aims to forge a cohesive, impactful force from seemingly fragmented voluntary commitments, pledges, and initiatives to drive real progress towards climate and sustainable development goals.