Nearly half of businesses we spoke to are not on track to achieve net zero carbon

Over 45% of businesses don’t believe they’re on track to achieve net zero carbon, according to data gathered from RPS’ Net Zero Carbon Progress Check.

The digital tool, launched in April 2021, enables businesses to review their current net zero carbon position and helps determine how likely they are to achieve their carbon reduction targets before the 2050 deadline.

Since its launch, over 700 people have used the free Progress Check, answering a series of questions to assess where they are on their net zero carbon journey. Participants who took part were from a variety of sectors, such as real estate, energy, transport, and infrastructure.

The data collected shows that at the time of response (between April 2021 and October 2022) 45% of participants didn't believe their business was on track to achieve net zero carbon, with 38% unsure if they would achieve net zero carbon by the UK's 2050 deadline. 36% of participants had no carbon reduction targets in place for the next 10 years. And, a third of the participants (33%) weren't measuring greenhouse gas emissions generated by their supply chain activities. Surprisingly, only 28% of participants had a focused strategy and target for reducing energy consumption. 

When asked what they believed to be their top three emissions sources, the following were ranked the highest:

• Energy consumption (gas and fuel) – 72%
• Transport and business travel – 52%
• Purchased goods and services – 33%

“The fact that 36% of participants had no carbon reduction targets in place for the next ten years is extremely concerning and demonstrates how far we have to go in order to achieve our legally binding targets for net zero”, comments Andrew Tasker, RPS’ Associate Director – EIA and Sustainability.

“It’s clear from the insights we’ve gathered that there’s a serious knowledge gap when it comes to identifying and implementing solutions to tackle business emissions.

“Many participants question whether they have the right solutions to address their emissions. While those that do have an awareness of what needs to be done, seem unsure of how to put things into practice.

“For those struggling to set out targets for reducing emissions, the best thing to do is seek advice. The longer organisations delay, the harder and more costly it will be to meet the government’s 2050 deadline. The good news is help is out there, and I urge any business unsure on how to tackle their emissions to reach out. Making complex easy is what we do, and when it comes to net zero carbon we're here to do just that”.

For advice on how to achieve net zero carbon, explore our Net Zero Carbon page or contact the team.