It is no surprise that economic conditions in the UK complicate the ambitions of businesses when it comes to achieving their decarbonisation goals. But in a paper our research team released earlier this year, we found that despite increasing financial demands, net-zero targets remain a priority for many businesses. That doesn’t change the fact that energy prices are set to remain high and the level of government support for businesses is decreasing, so we know that businesses will struggle on this journey.
That is why we have recently dedicated a lot of time to thinking about how we can provide more value to organisations looking to decarbonise. This month we launched the Energy Net Zero Weekly publication. The aim of this publication is to take significant regulatory and policy developments, as well as valuable industry insight and distil this into a concise and easily digestible format.
For instance, we recently covered the Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) announcement that just 0.4% of global businesses registered on their platform had a credible climate transition plan. Credibility in this case is assessed by how many key indicators have been disclosed against. Some examples of these indicators include board-level oversight, scenario analysis, financial planning, and policy engagement. The relevance of these indicators varies per business, but this is not picked up in the assessment. Published around the same time, the New Climate Institute’s (NCI) Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2023 report reminds us that building a plan around all 21 key indicators does not necessarily lead to a high integrity climate transition plan. Targets and indicators cannot be taken at face value. Looking at both the kind of commitments made, and the scope of emissions covered are relevant for establishing, evaluating or analysing climate transition plans at any level.
We draw out the insights from a range of market developments giving you a complete picture of what’s happening. If you’re an Energy Manager, CFO, or are in any position within your organisation which is concerned with environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) or the cost of energy, then receiving our research gives you the advantage of having cross-cutting analysis of recent events available to you. The benefits of decarbonising are clear. Decarbonisation, done effectively, can lead your organisation to be more secure and resilient, and reputationally better-off. Net Zero is not just an eco-project, it is an enormous opportunity for organisations to reduce costs, giving you a competitive edge, and attract investment.
Last week, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) released a survey of 1000 of its members. That survey found that just 8% had a full and comprehensive understanding of Net Zero, yet 79% were already making efforts to decarbonise. About one in five of those surveyed also held the view that adopting green tech would harm productivity. With our analysis, you can ensure your organisation is taking a cost-effective and fully informed approach to decarbonisation.
Our Energy Net Zero Weekly research covers a broader range of topics than our monthly Energy Net Zero publication, which focuses on a deeper level of analysis for the critical developments that have occurred over the previous month. This month, for instance, you can expect to gain insight into the success of the London Mayor’s decarbonisation plan, coupled with the Institute for Government’s calls to empower local leaders to be net zero trailblazers. The monthly publication is especially important for obtaining actionable insight that will give you a unique perspective, helping you cut through the complexity and understand the impacts for you.
Our publications are also supported by our Energy Net Zero Forum, hosted once every two months, and power bill forecast. We host our next Energy Net Zero forum tomorrow, on 23 February. It includes a guest speaker from the REMA team at the department formerly known as BEIS, as well as analysis from our experts on the turbulent non-commodity energy market, EBDS and the Chris Skidmore MP Net Zero Review.
Is your organisation equipped with the critical information to tackle net zero decarbonisation and the economic challenges ahead? For more information on how we can help your business, please contact me on d.tickner@cornwall-insight.com
