We’ve written previously about why it matters to get a handle on your emissions numbers, to model your physical processes that build a picture of where you can make effective change, and then taking action. And yet, the sooner we act on climate change the better the result for the planet, for us humans, and for your bottom line. So here are five “think big, start small, and move quickly” approaches for anyone who wants to build capability in a more sustainable business model.
Find out who in your organisation has the experience, the nous and motivation to help champion sustainability to the board, your team, and your clients. Don’t let sustainability be a throwaway buzzword to keep investors happy or to simply comply with external disclosure requirements - instead create a project team with dedicated resources and make sure there’s constant dialogue. Your team might already be brimming with ideas on how to cut emissions - but they need a clear forum to express them in. Leverage their knowledge, operational experience, and energy.
It might not be as glamorous as a Chief Sustainability Officer, but the Carbon Accountant will be one of the most important jobs in the coming decade. Imagine an organisation making financial decisions without a CFO and a finance team. Carbon Accounting is Cost Accounting on steroids. Enterprise financial budgets drive operational behaviours around money. Carbon budgets do the same for emissions. Get one on your team immediately and invest in training and development. More broadly, anyone you are hiring in your finance or FP&A teams will need exposure to ESG and sustainability reporting, or some form of climate science. You can immediately add these to your selection criteria.
It’s not just your own teams you can leverage. If you’re starting out on sustainability initiatives, you can bet there are similar organisations who have gone through major learnings already. Reach out, start building sector networks. While you might compete head to head at the Point-of-Sale, you probably share many of the same suppliers. Initiatives and standards that work across a sector have a multiplier effect and make it less costly for suppliers to integrate with.
No research needed here - switching your vehicle fleet, your buildings’ energy supplies or your investments to renewable energy helps both climate adaptation and climate mitigation. Solar panels in company car parks and other infrastructure are becoming commonplace, and reduce your energy bills and vulnerability to fluctuating prices.
Providing vegetarian alternatives gives people an easy way to eat more sustainably at company events or lunch areas. Even which non-vegetarian options you provide makes a difference. Switching from CO2-intensive meats like lamb (where 1kg generates almost 40kg CO₂eq*), farmed prawns (27kg) or beef (99kg) to options like chicken (10kg) or pork (12kg) still makes a dent in emissions.
(*CO₂equivalent over 100 years. Source: Poore & Nemecek 2018)
Prevention is better than the cure. The best climate action is the one you can take now. Every step we take closer to that 1.5 degree warming limit requires five steps back. If there’s a quick win you can implement in two weeks, don’t wait three months to confirm its viability - act now.
You start from scratch to get familiar with evolving reporting standards like IFRS S1 and S2 and calculate your own emissions - or you can work with a team to get started on the right path immediately , get in touch and book a planning workshop with Getting to Zero now.
