As part of our Net Zero Carbon series, we wrote about becoming a net zero company. This is part of our own journey as a business and we believe this issue is fast becoming a litmus test for service providers especially those delivering buildings and infrastructure for the future.
Most companies in the built environment will be familiar with new net zero aspirations for buildings as exemplified by frameworks from the WorldGBC, UKGBC, RIBA and LETI. Although there are nuances among these, the general principle is the same. Buildings should reduce the amount of carbon they generate (either construction or operational), employ renewable energy (either on or offsite) and then offset any residual carbon so that the overall balance is zero.
For companies, the logic is much the same, although the boundaries of what is in “scope” will be larger. Buildings will be involved, as they are a main source of carbon emissions for many companies, but there may be other significant components of carbon emissions – particularly from travel and business supplies/consumables that need to be considered.
There is much that businesses can do to improve financially by committing to net zero
Net zero requires companies to interrogate their practices. This almost always reveals inefficiencies and cost savings. On the value side, becoming a net zero carbon business also has reputational benefits as well, as virtually all stakeholders (from employees to investors) have signalled a preference to work with net zero carbon companies.
Read the full article where we look at what it takes to be a “net zero carbon company”, using our experience as an example, and reveal some strategies when looking at what you need to measure and reduce as well as offering some potential solutions.