Develop your sustainability strategy to reach Net Zero and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees
What is Net Zero?
Net Zero is achieved when the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions an organisation produces equal the same as the emissions removed from the atmosphere.
This is done by reducing emissions as much as possible through operational efficiencies, supply chain decarbonisation, and then offsetting any remaining emissions that can’t be eliminated.
Why do we need to reach Net Zero?
We need to keep warming under 1.5°C to avoid the worst effects of climate change, and countries around the word have made a legal commitment to this goal, with the UK setting it’s own net zero target for 2050.
Businesses contribute significantly to the UK’s carbon footprint, so they have a vital role to play by becoming Net Zero themselves.
How a Sustainability Strategy Benefits Business
Unlock Revenue Opportunities
Whether you sell B2B or B2C, more and more customers are seeking out sustainable products and services. A clear sustainability strategy will help you meet this growing demand.
Cut Operational Costs
Your sustainability strategy will include actions to help you be more energy efficient, allowing you to quickly save money on your energy bills.
Access Green Finance
Unlock new sources of finance through green loans, investment opportunities, and sustainability-linked funding, all increasingly tied to sustainability reporting and performance.
Helping you develop your Sustainability Strategy
We understand that businesses have different levels of experience and expertise when it comes to sustainability, so we tailor our service to you.
You’ll work closely with one of our sustainability consultants who will be on hand to support and guide you through the whole process of making your sustainability strategy and carbon reduction plan, and they will help you engage others in your organisation to drive forward action.
What’s included:
- Training to give your team confidence when discussing climate change and Net Zero to stakeholders in your business
- A carbon footprint report, showing you exactly where your business is producing emissions, so we can see together what areas to tackle and when to tackle them. The report will cover scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions (direct and indirect sources of emissions)
- A modelled a pathway to Net Zero tailored to your organisation. This shows where your emissions reductions will come from, helps you set a realistic Net Zero target year, and outlines expected costs and potential return on investment
- Your Sustainability Strategy. This will summarise the work you and your consultant have done together on your carbon footprint and pathway to Net Zero and give you a detailed action plan that gives you a clear understanding of how you can reach Net Zero
Is Net Zero the right goal for your organisation?
Dive deeper into the importance of data and stakeholder engagement with our guide to Sustainability Strategy
Happy Ltd – working towards a happier planet
We delivered a bespoke Net Zero Strategy for Happy with ambitious targets, including climate literacy training for the team, data collection support and supply chain assessments.
Sustainability Strategy FAQs
Achieving Net Zero will take most companies a long time. Net Zero target years are usually set between 2040 and 2050 to reduce emissions so significantly. Whereas carbon neutrality can be achieved almost immediately, so long as the emissions produced equal the offsets purchased. Therefore, by definition, to reach carbon neutrality, emission reductions don’t necessarily need to happen.
While both approaches aim to mitigate climate impact, Net Zero is a more impactful, science-based solution, but carbon neutrality can serve as a transitional step toward deeper sustainability.
For a business to reach Net Zero a long-term, strategic approach to fundamentally change business operations and minimise emissions at their source is required. First steps to becoming Net Zero start with measuring their carbon footprint, and then reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions (emissions that directly come from the company and emissions produced by buying electricity).
Taking action to reduce GHG emissions should always be the priority if we are to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, so if there are actions you can take now – do it. Having a complete carbon footprint of your business will allow you to get the full picture of where you are producing emissions and help you understand all areas that need to be decarbonised to build a comprehensive strategy. Having a carbon footprint will also allow you to measure your progress, back up any claims on sustainability, and avoid greenwashing.
GHG emissions can be offset in two ways – by taking them out of the atmosphere or by avoiding them being produced. This is commonly done by businesses by buying carbon credits. A carbon credit is essentially a negative amount of GHG emissions. So, if one carbon credit was bought, one tonne of carbon dioxide will be taken out of the atmosphere, if 100 carbon credits are bought, 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be taken out of the atmosphere.
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