Net Zero & Decarbonisation for Businesses
What it is and Why it Matters
Reaching net zero requires clear strategy and real world action. At Changing Footprint, our net zero decarbonisation strategy for businesses service helps you plan with science-based targets, then integrate Carbon emission reduction pathways that align with your corporate goals.
Net Zero may have attracted a lot of negative press recently but it remains a critical global aim. For businesses it means eliminating operational greenhouse gas emissions and balancing any residual emission through verified removals. The goal – keep global warming within 1.5°C to preserve a livable planet.
Businesses adopting a net zero strategy will benefit from enhanced resilience, strengthened investor/customer trust and regulatory/reputational risk mitigation.
What does it mean in practice?
Net Zero or Decarbonisation means stopping burning fossil fuels in your operations and supply chain (as far as possible). This is normally done by switching from gas and oil to electricity and optimising plant. Once this is achieved, the remaining emissions are ‘removed’ by purchasing Carbon offsets, which means investing in verified projects that remove Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere.
This is a major challenge for most organisations as it involves:
- Undertaking a Carbon calculation for the whole organisation, including relevant parts of the supply chain.
- Reviewing all of the energy consuming equipment within the organisation to create a decarbonisation plan.
- Creating a Carbon policy that will work with all external and internal stakeholders (frequently the estates management team do not have sufficient tools and resources to cope with this).
- Integrating this policy into estate planning and replacing known technologies, (for example gas fired boilers to Air Source Heat Pumps) for potentially unknown ones.
- Sourcing verified Carbon offsets and agreeing an internal Carbon cost (which can be included in business plans for decision making).
Our method: a four step approach
1. Quantify your Carbon footprint (Scopes 1, 2 & 3)
Beginning with transparency, we help you measure direct and indirect emissions rooted in operations (Scope 1), energy use (Scope 2), and value chain activities (Scope 3) – which often make up the majority of a footprint. We will present this as Carbon hotspots and usage profiles, which highlight areas of unusual or unexpected consumption.
2. Build a Clear Decarbonisation Roadmap
We will help you identify and prioritise reduction strategies across energy, operations and procurement. This often includes:
- Site visits to identify and quantify energy saving and decarbonisation opportunities.
- Working with the estates teams to understand what is planned in the near and medium term.
- Reviewing existing policies for transport, people, sustainable sourcing and environmental management.
- Identifying waste and integrating circular economy models.
3. Set ambitious and achievable targets
Harnessing frameworks like the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) will define near-term and long-term goals—such as halving emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.
4. Demonstrating leadership and report progress
Open communication builds credibility. Using net zero leadership to clarify direction, influences your value chain and strengthens stakeholder trust. Continuous reporting ensures integrity and accountability.
Important Note:
Net Zero combines most of our energy and Carbon services and integrates into your Sustainability Strategy. We advise clients to build up their Carbon Footprint and Energy Audits first, to then lead into Net Zero. This approach gives a safe, robust and reliable method to create the future plan for your business that is achievable.