The Government has published net zero business sector roadmap guidelines, setting out a robust, credible and consistent set of criteria that all business sector roadmaps should meet to ensure they can effectively reduce emissions.
The Net Zero Council, which brings together CEOs from leading companies including Co-op, HSBC, Siemens, NatWest and Cemex, has developed a new framework to help empower businesses to create tailored action plans to reduce emissions across their sector.
The guidelines calls for:
- A credible pathway (criteria apply to individual roadmaps)
- Robust delivery plan (criteria apply to individual roadmaps)
- Mechanisms for collaboration
- Independent assessment of roadmaps
The UK Business Climate Hub has also launched today including a free carbon calculator and a suite of new tools to help businesses measure, track and report on their emissions and save money by using less energy.
It offers detailed advice on everything from sourcing products from green suppliers and reducing emissions from freight and logistics to the most cost-effective ways of installing solar panels and electric vehicle (EV) charging points.
The new support is aimed particularly at 5.5m small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK, with business and industry accounting for around 25 percent of emissions. Research shows that 90 percent of SMEs are keen to tackle climate change, but find it difficult to know how or where to start to find the right solutions to reduce their carbon footprint.
The Government has also announced that new advice services, backed by £20m of government funding, will help those in hard-to-treat homes and the hard-to-reach, such as the elderly and those without internet access.
Thirty six pilot services will trial new ways to get expert advice out to those that need it most, with more than 125,000 households to benefit across England.
