Climate Chatter: Carbon neutrality and the journey to Net Zero

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Corporate climate action in Australia, New Zealand and across the globe continues to accelerate - the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled Net Zero and climate action to the top of the corporate agenda. However, a recent South Pole report found that only about half of organizations who have set Net Zero targets, have also set concrete milestones to get there.

Key takeaways

1. A clearly defined position on climate action is a competitive advantage especially in an industry which has a large environmental footprint - both for established companies to differentiate themselves and for new brands creating customer demand.
2. Measuring your carbon footprint is the best place to start for most companies as it's tangible and achievable. It is advantageous to follow on with becoming carbon neutral by reducing this footprint and compensating unavoidable emissions. Ultimately, setting a Net Zero target follows naturally as knowledge of the topic, understanding of the company's decarbonisation pathway and internal buy-in increases.
3. Climate Active is a robust and powerful certification in Australia but it does present challenges for businesses with international operations, so consider options to complement it with a global certification such as South Pole's Climate Neutral label.
4. Employees are key to ensuring climate action resonates throughout the organisation so use your genuine climate action as an asset for recruitment, build into onboarding and sales training - and get employees to be your ambassadors.
5. Consumers are increasingly expecting the brands they choose to be taking climate action so the best way to engage them is with transparent and straightforward communications and by telling the stories and sharing the impacts of your action in a relatable way.
6. All companies find scope 3 complex and surprising but that doesn't mean you should avoid tackling it - it won't be easy to reduce value chain emissions but it's so crucial and should be prioritised.

Resources

Video

Take a look at our webinar recording below.