Modern Building Services

8 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES SEPTEMBER 2021 FEATURE NET ZERO NET ZERO W hilst 2050 seems like a long way off, mitigating climate change, improving climate resilience, and protecting our planet for the future rely on decisions that are being made here and now. Decisions that require bold action to turn net zero pledges, into plans. As a reminder of the global pledge to tackle the climate emergency, leaders at the recent G7 summit made a commitment to phase out coal-fired power and deliver $100bn to help low-income nations decarbonise. They also agreed to produce a roadmap that sets out concrete pathways to net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050, as well as a commitment to introduce mandatory climate reporting, both to be agreed on before November’s COP26 conference. Adding further pressure, a recent independent report published by the Climate Change Committee, concluded that the UK is struggling to keep pace with climate change impacts. To ensure that societal, economic, and environmental goals remain achievable in the face of climate change, it urgently calls for leadership from the UK Government, stressing that the longer action is delayed, the greater the cost of managing the negative effects climate change will bring. Later this year leaders at COP26 will call on countries to back more ambitious carbon reduction targets, find ways to help economies adapt to climate change, and harness innovation in a bid to drive down carbon emissions to net zero. It is widely expected that the decisions made will enforce greater action more quickly, hitting commercial markets in a way net zero policy hasn’t before. The message is, if net zero hasn’t been a priority for you yet, it soon will be. Benefits for business Many organisations are used to the idea of practicing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and increasingly, setting in place an Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) strategy to work towards specific corporate goals, but actively reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions can be complicated and taxing on resources. So, it is understandable when given the choice, many organisations want to know first what is in net zero for them. For starters, elevating a business as a leader of sustainability can attract investors, customers, and talent, make stakeholders happy and differentiate it from competitors. Increasingly in a world where consumer opinion is king, and attitudes to products and services have changed due to concern about climate change, successful businesses need to be aligning their strategy with that consumer demand. Driving down emissions can also help organisations meet and even exceed regulatory and compliance requirements, which can be used to promote their green credentials. Often these requirements can be seen as unwelcome and costly, an expense that many organisations can ill afford. However, on the pathway to net zero, the ambition to lower their carbon emissions can for some organisations be prioritised over cost. We work with organisations, for example, who As pressure mounts on UK businesses to be working towards the Government’s net zero target, now is the time for them to address how a net zero strategy can become part of their purpose says TEAM . Stepping up to Net Zero before it’s too late