Do you need clear guidance for the excellent communication regarding your climate obligations in light of the ongoing discussions, as well as the ISO guidelines on carbon neutrality? When communicating your climate actions, it might feel like climate change is a minefield due to the possible consequences of corporate greenwashing.
According to the most recent scientific understanding, we all need to take action to reduce emissions and global warming. Your company has a part to play in encouraging human society to take action as soon as possible. We are aware that we need to work and report on our activities in the most accountable and transparent manner feasible in the midst of the climate emergency.
Stakeholders have higher expectations than ever and occasionally want open and considerate communication. Effective communication was once hampered by the absence of a standardized process or framework for achieving net zero carbon emissions or corporate carbon neutrality.
Ahead of COP26, the SBTi, or Science-based Targets initiative, introduced the first net-zero emissions benchmark in the world that is compliant with the Paris Agreement. By 2050, this standard mandates a profound Decarbonization of 90–95 percent of emissions and lays out short- and long-term goals for the whole value chain. In order to reach net-zero emissions, the final five to ten percent of value chain greenhouse gas emissions must be taken out of the atmosphere and stored in carbon sinks. Along with the continued reduction, businesses are urged to invest their time and money in carbon offset projects.
Organizations from all over the world are required to share their environmental impact as well as commitments to minimize it as part of the race to fulfill global climate targets. The momentum is building. For instance, the Race to the Zero initiative is mobilizing a collaboration of major net-zero initiatives that includes 622 higher educational institutions, 173 of the largest investors in the world; 733 cities; 31 regions, and 3067 companies. In an alliance, these economic players join 120 nations in pledging to achieve net emissions by 2050. Together, these actors now account for more than 50% of the world's GDP and approximately 25% of global CO2 emissions. Effective communication indicates enhanced ambition and foresight, in addition to compliance with local, national, and international laws.
An organization's image can be significantly influenced by well-managed and persuasive communication, but transformation itself is primarily what it can be used to drive. Real and long-lasting changes for your business can result from spreading knowledge about advanced climate solutions and increasing awareness of them. Similarly, the efficacy of your climate change activities depends on including the general public as well as other stakeholders through ethical communication. In order to act to protect the climate and also the biodiversity of natural ecosystems, effective communication promotes discussion and brings people together.
You have two goals that can be summed up as follows for this crucial phase on your path to net zero:
* Showcase your environmental efforts and advancements to set your communications against those of less aspirational rivals.
* In order to protect your reputation, adhere to recommended practices while communicating your dedication to the environment.
Being open and honest is the golden rule. This entails reporting on your organization's complete carbon footprint, computed in tCO2, and clearly stating:
* Your carbon footprint in terms of organization, location, and emissions. Here, reporting on all material indirect and direct emissions is the goal (3 Scopes). As a result, it's critical to explain any exclusions and explicitly pinpoint your main emissions.
* The breakdown of emissions by category and range of emissions.
Before announcing your voluntary approach, make sure to comply with all GHG reporting requirements.
Please clarify the above-described scope first and foremost. Remember that this communication needs to be understandable and available to everyone. So, we advise you to provide a transparent comparison. Your communication should contain specific goals for lowering your carbon footprint along the whole value chain. The most important thing is that your communications show a long-term vision that is in line with the net zero. This means that the decrease has to be in line with the 1.5 °C trajectories set forth in the Paris Agreement or the global net zero target as depicted by the IPCC.
Your primary goal should be a reduction, with residual emissions being offset or neutralized as a secondary goal. It is crucial to list the emissions you reduce, such as by enhancing carbon sinks in the atmosphere. It is crucial to understand that, if you choose to follow the Net-Zero Standard, the removal of carbon dioxide from the environment and it is sequestering into carbon sinks usually relates to the emissions that remain in the value chain after the 90–95 percent reduction in the overall emissions from Scopes 1, 2, and 3 by 2050. Companies are encouraged to participate in carbon offset projects that allow for emission reductions outside of their value chain going forward, in addition to and parallel to the decrease in line with the target of net zero.
Be open and honest about how you're doing in comparison to your goals. It's important to explain in an integrated manner, supported by measurable findings and explicit allusions to the standards or norms you've applied. In fact, the reduction goals with regard to residual emissions must be closely connected to the offsetting targets. Businesses should feel comfortable openly discussing tasks that need improvement, such as revealing upcoming obstacles.
Showcase the changes to your business strategy that are required to make a move to net zero a reality. This is an opportunity to discuss your eco-design and technological advancements that help you reduce emissions while also discussing your progress with evaluations of the risks and possibilities posed by the climate, which aid in adaptation and transformation. Showing people how your creative solutions have a tangible impact on the world around them is very crucial.
Help erase your carbon footprint by funding environmental projects that combat climate change.
Don’t miss our future updates!
Get Subscribed Today!
