Road to Net Zero – Demystifying Sustainability

Celebrating Net Zero Week

Net Zero Week is the UK’s official national awareness week for sustainability. The virtual conference is held from 6th – 12th July, and aims to bring together all the stakeholders needed to reach Net Zero by 2050.

Sustainability is one of core principles, our team is delighted to participate in the discussions, and to help drive sustainability for ourselves and our clients.

This Net Zero Week, we reflect on the ways organisations around the UK can drive sustainable operations – as well as what our team is doing to drive sustainability in our own organisation.

How do we embed sustainability?

It’s important for us to practice what we preach when it comes to sustainability. Our team supports sustainability in the following ways:

· Pledge to Net Zero: we have pledged to achieve net zero by 2050, and plan to achieve this through innovative working models, sensible travel, sustainable procurement, reuse and recycling, and conscious energy and water use reduction.

· Environmental Management Systems: we are registered to ISO 14001, and audited yearly to provide additional assurance.

· Carbon Reduction Plan: in addition to our Pledge to Net Zero, we have a Carbon Reduction Plan in place. A Carbon Reduction Plan includes a current carbon footprint, as well as an outline of our plans to achieve net zero emissions.

What actions can my business take to become more sustainable?

Sustainability is a process – the actions below may be stand-alone, or connected in sequence, but the overall goal is to support your decarbonization journey.

· Circular economy: retaining value in products for longer brings benefits in reducing pressures on our natural and man-made resources. Imagine halving your resource bill by re-using 50% of materials – and the knock-on benefit in reduced carbon footprint through not mining, transporting, making, and end of life waste management!

· Sustainable procurement: Scope 3 purchased goods and services are a significant opportunity to reduce carbon emissions in supply chains. It’s a two-way street and by working together with key suppliers, organisations can reap benefits in not only carbon, but also cost savings, such as from reduced transport costs.

· Energy management (including ISO 50001): ISO 50001 is the energy performance management tool helping larger energy-use organisations to focus on improvements for significant energy use areas and equipment. As a performance standard, it uses data-driven improvement projects to reduce normalised energy use.

· Identifying opportunities to reach net zero: we explore and evaluate opportunities to address emission sources through efficiency improvements and fuel switching to support your journey to net zero.

· Technical energy audits: we perform comprehensive energy audits on buildings, industrial processes and transport activities to uncover inefficiencies to help you drive improvement.

How we can help your organisation become more sustainable?

Ready to get started? Our team offers a range of services that could help your organisation become more sustainable, including:

· Calculate your emissions/carbon footprint

· Setting Science Based Targets (SBTi)

· Identifying opportunities for you to reach Net Zero

· Technical energy audits

· Carbon neutrality (PAS 2060)

· Circular economy

· Sustainable procurement

· Renewables options appraisal and design

· Energy management (including ISO 50001)

· Engineering design

For more information about how our team could assist your organisation in achieving your Net Zero goals, get in touch today.