The Stepping Stones Toward Carbon Net Zero
With the global goal of Carbon Net Zero by 2050, you could think there’s plenty of time. There is no need to rush into carbon reporting, change business processes, invest in renewable energy solutions, etc. Carbon Net Zero is part of the wider ESG requirements and is an essential part of sustainability in business.
But there are also targets set for 2030 and that’s a mere 6 years away. Like any other change, the first question is where do I start? Then taking the first step is the hardest but having goals to work towards makes it easier.
The 4 Stepping Stones Toward Carbon Net Zero
Determine how ready your business is for carbon reporting.
Undertake a carbon baseline report. This will give you your starting point and, if you like, draw a line in the sand. Many businesses have already been implementing sustainability practices. It’s a shame that the reporting wasn’t done before they made the changes so the impact could be identified. But it doesn’t matter. What does matter, is working out what your carbon footprint is now.
Work on a plan towards carbon neutrality. This is where you use a combination of changes to business practices, use more renewable energy, and look for efficiencies in processes that will reduce fuel and energy consumption combined with buying carbon offsets. A typical carbon offset project is buying trees, but there are other options, like buying carbon credits. The goal is that the carbon offsets match your carbon emissions so that you have a neutral carbon footprint.
The long-term goal is carbon net zero. This is when your carbon footprint has been reduced by 90% and the carbon offsets account for no more than 10% of your carbon footprint. This is where we all need to be by 2050.
Changing business processes may mean investing large sums of money to buy new equipment, machinery, and vehicles. These changes need to be factored into a long-term strategy based on the cash flow requirements of the business. For example, if you’re a trucking company, you may replace one truck every two years with a new truck that has energy savings systems, runs on renewable energy, etc. Or, if you’re in manufacturing, you may need to work towards replacing equipment with new energy-efficient equipment in five years. Every business will have a different strategy to work on to ensure the sustainability of their business.
Are you ready to start working towards Carbon Net Zero? Take the Carbon Readiness Assessment here and find out.
We are proud to advise that this article was written by the team and not produced by AI.