UN Climate Change News, 12 November 2026 - UN Climate Change launched the Net-Zero Recognition Framework (NZRF) today at COP31. Designed to recognize climate leadership by non-State actors and strengthen transparency around their diverse net-zero journeys, the NZRF launches after a successful pilot phase over the last year.
The voluntary framework enables business, financial institutions, cities, regions, and other non-State actors to publicly disclose their net-zero commitments, the criteria underpinning them, and the progress they have made towards their goals.
Through the NAZCA (Non-State Actor Zone for Climate Action) portal, UN Climate Change's global platform for non-State climate action since 2014, the NZRF makes information from participating initiatives, and from those of their signatories who opt in, publicly accessible - supporting transparency and leadership. The platform aims to provide a user-friendly, data-driven resource for exploring net-zero goals and understanding progress in the real economy.
"The UN Climate Change Net-zero Recognition Framework is an important transparency tool and, today, it moves from pilot to implementation. Through our renewed NAZCA portal, companies, financial institutions, cities, regions and more will be able to share their plans and report on progress," said Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary.
The NZRF was shaped by expert recommendations and consultations with stakeholders, responding to the need for more data and greater transparency in non-State climate action, helping build a stronger evidence base for greater and wider non-State climate actions over time.
How it works
Eight eligible net-zero initiatives are leading the way in the initial phase of the NZRF, with 78 signatories having opted into the framework in the two months before COP31. They include subnational governments representing more than 65 million people; companies and organizations in 22 countries, some of them operating in over 100 countries. This includes a wide variety of sectors, from fashion, wine and sports to small and medium-sized enterprises and subnational governments. Their diverse experiences and perspectives lay the groundwork to make net-zero commitments, and the criteria behind them, more transparent and accessible to everyone.
The framework is structured around five levels along the path to net zero: public commitments, transition plans, demonstrated progress, interim targets met, and net zero goals achieved.
"By making their net-zero journeys transparent, the initiatives taking part in the NZRF are showing vital leadership. This is entirely in the interests of those entities, as the global transition gathers pace and scale, as well as vital for overcoming the global climate crisis," said Xuehong Wang, Transparency Director at UN Climate Change.
"Tackling implementation gaps and accelerating progress starts with understanding where you stand today. By sharing their progress, these initiatives can help raise the bar for credible net-zero action, encourage others across the real economy to follow suit, and turn transparency into a driver of further progress by building a stronger evidence base for better planning and investment."
As the NZRF moves into full implementation, relevant climate initiatives are encouraged to apply to become eligible net-zero initiatives, while their signatories are invited to opt in and participate. Check eligibility criteria and application details: https://unfccc.int/NZRF
COP31 offers an opportunity to harness the momentum of real economy solutions and progress, and to broaden participation in the Framework, bringing together a growing number of organizations committed to making their credible net-zero journeys transparent.
