Corporates’ commitments from Net Zero to ESG Goal: Agri-Net Zero is the best pathway to attain Climate Action and Livelihood sustenance.

Özet

This paper presents Agri-Net Zero as the optimal pathway for corporate net zero compliance, emphasizing its dual role in advancing climate action while ensuring sustainable livelihoods. In the wake of accelerating climate change and the urgent need to stabilize global warming within critical thresholds, the integration of direct emission reductions and nature-based carbon sequestration in agricultural systems emerges as a transformative solution. Agriculture is highlighted as both a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and a uniquely positioned sector capable of acting as a large-scale carbon sink. Through regenerative practices such as agroforestry, sustainable livestock management, and advanced soil health techniques, Agri-Net Zero enables corporations to achieve immediate and measurable decarbonization in line with stringent IPCC guidelines.

The paper examines global trends and corporate commitments to net zero targets and ESG goals, contextualizing the role of agriculture within broader mitigation strategies. It further presents the Clean Food Net Zero (CFNZ) program under the IBM-IORF Sustainability Project as a practical demonstration of the multifaceted impact of Agri-Net Zero. The CFNZ program’s innovative “waste-to-wealth” strategy and integrated sustainability tools not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly but also enhance energy efficiency, resource utilization, and overall economic viability.

By repositioning agriculture from an emissions-intensive sector to a critical component of the global carbon cycle, Agri-Net Zero provides a comprehensive, scalable, and economically viable model. This paper argues that through proactive adoption of Agri-Net Zero, corporations can bridge the gap between environmental imperatives and sustainable development, simultaneously achieving robust net zero compliance and bolstering food and livelihood security in a climate-uncertain future.