For a term that’s a relative newcomer to our everyday business language, net zero has gained a lot of traction in a short time.
A Google search, for example, brings up 1.47 billion results. And businesses of all sizes are feeling under pressure to have an official stance regarding their commitment to net zero.
Certainly, we hear from customers everyday asking for help with defining or delivering a net zero strategy. But what do businesses really think?
If one positive can be taken from the events of 2020 so far, it’s the glimpse lockdown gave us all of a low-carbon future; with emissions down, cleaner air, and renewables successfully powering our homes and businesses.
Little wonder then, that while actively pursuing decarbonisation stalled during the Covid-19 crisis, the reopening of our economy has brought with it a renewed focus on net zero goals.
But while businesses, industry bodies and action groups are increasingly calling for sustainability to be placed at the heart of a ‘green recovery’, clear guidance and meaningful support for organisations who want to take their own strides towards net zero is yet to be provided by UK policymakers.
In November 2019, the UK Treasury announced it would conduct a Net Zero Review to assess how the UK could make the most of the economic opportunities the green transition presents. Published following the UK legislating to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, this Review, alongside the much-anticipated Energy White Paper, is designed to provide a clear roadmap on how the UK would achieve and fund its ambitious low-carbon transition.
As businesses across the UK – and indeed the world – focus on getting back on track, there’s a growing impetus to embed greater sustainability into the recovery.
In this episode of The Future of Business Energy podcast, energy industry experts provide their thoughts on the UK’s net zero progress, discussing the legislative and infrastructure changes we’ve seen so far and examining what incentives and policies are needed to help businesses carve out their own road to net zero.
There’s a lot of talk about getting ‘back to business’ as lockdown restrictions are eased and we start to pick up economically.
But for many organisations, forwards is where they are now focused. And with so much noise around net zero and how businesses will need to play a vital role in helping the UK reach its decarbonisation targets, decisions around energy use and management will be key.
As the government starts to allocate funding for a variety of ‘green’ measures to support the UK’s economic recovery, we’d like to ensure that the views of business are taken into account.
What does the future hold for energy? While it's impossible to know for sure, looking back on how things have evolved can provide useful insight into what's to come - and help businesses decide what support they will need as they navigate a path to Net Zero.