Innovate to net zero

Building a net-zero world requires innovation in technology and business models, which will create growth opportunities for companies that take action

Achieving net-zero emissions will involve a significant economic transformation. Developing, scaling, and deploying climate technologies will be critical to keep warming on a 1.5°-degree pathway. This global decarbonization transition will open new markets and imperil others.

The businesses that can innovate quickly and collaborate across value chains will be able to take advantage of enormous green growth opportunities.

Innovate to net zero: Climate technology

“We built this economy over the past 200 years. We’re going to have to radically change it over the next 30,” explains Dickon Pinner, senior partner and global colead for McKinsey Sustainability. How can climate technology help speed the transition to net zero?

Featured Insights

Article

Accelerating toward net zero: The green business building opportunity

June 14, 2022 -

Surging demand for zero-carbon technologies, materials, and services gives companies opportunities to build new green businesses. Leaders that move quickly could see exponential growth.

Article

Climate tech competitiveness: Can the United States raise its game?

October 3, 2022 -

The United States has an opportunity to turn its innovation advantage in climate technologies into the basis for a thriving manufacturing and export sector.

Sewage treatment plant with solar power station in city

Article

The new imperative for green commodities

August 18, 2022 -

The energy and materials transition is reshaping the strategic toolbox of commodity producers. Seven actions can help them master the transition.

Executive Briefing

How climate action can help deliver EU energy security

August 12, 2022 -

Governments can act now to accelerate the energy transition in Europe to both improve the continent’s long-term energy security and reduce emissions.

Article

Spotting green business opportunities in a surging net-zero world

August 1, 2022 -

Explore how 8 industries may transition to reach a 2050 net-zero scenario, and how organizations can respond with new green businesses that create value along the way.

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Playing offense to create value in the net-zero transition

April 13, 2022 -

Decarbonization will reshape the economy, opening new markets and imperiling others. Now is the moment for companies to spot green growth opportunities and move boldly to take advantage.

illustration floating green rings folded in on themselves

Article

How green can green growth be?

July 26, 2022 -

The transition to net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions will take trillions of dollars and several decades. Here’s how B2B leaders can extract maximum value from the journey.

Article

Delivering the climate technologies needed for net zero

April 18, 2022 -

Developing and deploying climate technologies is critical for the world’s net-zero agenda. Growth could await businesses willing to innovate quickly and to collaborate across value chains.

Article

Building a green business: Lessons from sustainability start-ups

April 27, 2022 -

Green tech and climate technology companies are rapidly altering the competitive landscape. With sustainability now a business imperative, incumbents need to move quickly—or risk being left behind.

Article

Innovating to net zero: An executive’s guide to climate technology

October 28, 2021 -

Advanced technologies are critical to stopping climate change—and the drive to develop and scale them is accelerating. Here are five themes that could attract $2 trillion of annual investment by 2025.

Scaling climate solutions

How negative emissions can help organizations meet their climate goals

June 30, 2021 -

Substantial negative emissions (carbon removals) are needed with emission reductions to avert catastrophic climate change. Analysis shows that negative emissions can be deployed at the required scale.

Scaling voluntary carbon markets to help meet climate goals

A blueprint for scaling voluntary carbon markets to meet the climate challenge

January 29, 2021 -

The trading of carbon credits can help companies—and the world—meet ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Here is what it would take to strengthen voluntary carbon markets so they can support climate action on a large scale.

Why investing in nature is key to climate mitigation

January 25, 2021 -

A new consultation paper from McKinsey and the World Economic Forum explores the role that natural climate solutions can play in helping to address climate change and the destruction of nature.

Net-zero innovation in industries

Report

Net-zero steel in building and construction: The way forward

April 28, 2022 -

Rising demand for greener approaches creates an imperative for the industry to seize the moment, adopt new mindsets, and set standards for the transition to a greener future.

Report

Green corridors: A lane for zero-carbon shipping

December 21, 2021 -

Zero-emission fuels and vessels will need to start being deployed at scale over the next decade to achieve full decarbonization of the shipping sector by 2050. This ambitious goal could be catalyzed by green corridors.

Report

Net-zero power: Long-duration energy storage for a renewable grid

November 22, 2021 -

As the world transitions to decarbonized energy systems, emerging long-duration energy storage technologies will be critical for supporting the widescale deployment of renewable energy sources.

Insights on scaling green businesses

Interview - Learn to Leap: Green Business Building Edition

Launching net-zero businesses: Lessons from a digital leader

July 26, 2022 -

Many companies are hustling to start low-carbon businesses. Ram Ramachander works at the speed of a start-up and with the backing of a corporation.

Interview - Learn to Leap: Green Business Building Edition

From vision to green-tech unicorn: Lessons from Enpal

July 8, 2022 -

Enpal’s CEO and founder discusses how an interest in solar installation fueled the creation of a company moving toward full-scale green energy and mobility systems.

Interview - Learn to Leap: Green Business Building Edition

How quantum computing can help tackle global warming

May 27, 2022 -

Quantum computing has the potential to drive the major breakthroughs needed to help solve the climate crisis. A pioneer in the field discusses how his company is seeking to harness this technology for large-scale climate-change mitigation.

illustration of Tommy Stadlen and Michael Acton Smith

Interview - Learn to Leap: Green Business Building Edition

Companies that care: Lessons from a unicorn founder and his purpose-driven investor

May 11, 2022 -

Doing good may also be a good investment—and potentially transformative for the world. Two leaders on the front lines discuss the current landscape and what’s next.

Our role in innovating to net zero

Blog Post

Building green businesses to speed the transition to net zero

July 12, 2022 -

Global attempts to move to a 1.5° pathway rely on our collective ability to scale up new green businesses—and to do so quickly. What exactly will it take to make this happen?

Blog Post

McKinsey partners with Stripe, Alphabet, Shopify, and Meta on $925 million carbon removal commitment

April 13, 2022 -

We are pleased to announce today that McKinsey Sustainability will be partnering with Alphabet, Shopify, Meta and Stripe in an eight-year $925 million commitment to accelerate the development of permanent carbon removal technologies by guaranteeing future demand.

Blog Post

McKinsey launches new climate technology effort to accelerate decarbonization

April 8, 2022 -

The McKinsey Platform for Climate Technologies will help clients plan, deploy, and scale new decarbonization solutions around the world.

Learn more

McKinsey Sustainability

Innovating to net zero

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Innovate to net zero