Table 4.

Description of commitment and achievement claims and their associated risks

Status of claim	Potential governance risks undermining strong claims	Description of strong claims
Commitment claims	Commitment claims so far remain largely non‐actionable, as most governments have been slow in creating the necessary legally binding framework to oversee and control them. With little downside to making future voluntary commitments that are not backed by a clear and credible implementation plan, companies will be compelled to publish such commitment claims while continuing to engage in polluting practices.	Strong commitment claims about future climate targets—such as reaching net zero by a certain date—have reasonable grounds, including concrete plans for achieving said aspirations. They are based on measured and disclosed corporate emissions and require corporates to demonstrate concrete (annual) abatement action in line with the announced decarbonization trajectory.
Achievement claims	Rewarding only those claims that companies can credibly prove to have achieved today carries the risk of disincentivizing future climate mitigation efforts. In addition, achievement claims are particularly material to consumers, and as such carry a rebounding risk.	Strong achievement claims represent real climate benefits that have been independently verified and are additional to business‐as‐usual corporate action. They are based on measured and disclosed corporate emissions and are linked to an equally strong commitment claim, concrete abatement action, and a decarbonization trajectory.