Partner Insight: Turning commitment into action that delivers results can be tricky, especially when it comes to carbon emissions. Here, UK&I sustainability sector lead for BSI, Laurie Wood, shares his insight into the challenges and how BSI's Net Zero Pathway keeps organisations on track to reach their goals.
The effects of climate change are starting to be felt around the world. In 2023, Canada and Hawaii experienced huge forest fires, Europe and the southern US endured extreme heat, and China suffered significant flooding. In 2024, a cooler than average UK summer aside, the average global surface temperature for the three months from June to August was the warmest ever recorded for the period.
Governments around the world are responding to the climate crisis by committing to a target of net zero emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 2050. In doing so, they hope to limit the worst impacts and start to reverse the damage.
The UK government has made this commitment, along with an interim target of a 78 per cent cut in emissions by 2035 compared with 1990 levels.
Achieving these ambitious targets requires the commitment of organisations of all sizes to also step up and take action.
The challenge of net zero for organisations
We know that organisations want to do the right thing and get to grips with this topic. However, it is complex and challenging: from understanding how to calculate carbon footprints to devising and implementing plans for reducing emissions and tracking progress – all while avoiding greenwashing and financial pain.
There are several certifications, awards and approval schemes available in the marketplace, but how they link to and support an organisation's journey to net zero is not always clear. The watchword for any organisation embarking on its journey to net zero is credibility. Credibility is built on trust, but how we demonstrate and gain trust is predominantly through actions and performance, which can be highly subjective measures. Yet there are ways you can measure and validate that activity, through transparency with regard to data, targets and progress.
According to the BSI Net Zero Barometer Report 2023, 94 per cent of consumers say proper verification of a business environmental claim is important to them, and 73 per cent say they are willing to spend more with sustainable organizations. So, transparency is good for business as well as the climate.
Getting – and staying – on track to net zero
The Pathway is not a standard, it is an overarching scheme built on international standards and best practice guidance. It starts with a rigorous, independent carbon footprint verification against the requirements of ISO 14064-1. This ensures reduction targets are set against an accurate baseline, and all relevant emissions have been considered, thus ensuring credibility on your journey to becoming net zero.
It also leverages best practices from the key principles of the ISO Net Zero Guidelines (IWA 42):2022, and ensures planned business growth is considered within the company's plans for emissions reduction.
Even if emissions reduction targets have already been validated by another organization, they can still be used in conjunction with our scheme. Indeed, the benefit of the BSI Net Zero Pathway is that it goes beyond just setting targets, it also includes annual audits and progress reviews against these targets to ensure they are being achieved.
Every organisation's journey to becoming a certified net zero business will be different. But whatever the size or sector, BSI is dedicated to making the process seamless and ensuring organizations have an answer to ‘Now what?'.
Laurie Wood is UK&I sustainability sector lead for BSI.
