90 per cent of businesses aren’t taking climate change seriously

 

Paul Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, Carbon Credentials

 

The message is clear: in 2018 the IPCC Report confirmed that we have until 2030 to take action to avoid global climate disaster, with naturalist David Attenborough declaring climate change as “our greatest threat in thousands of years”. And at Carbon Credentials, we cannot think of a bigger risk to businesses than a risk to humanity itself.

 

“If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon”.

 

Yet our research found that only 10 per cent of companies surveyed have set a carbon reduction target. While there is support among employees for reducing carbon emissions, 57 per cent of respondents told us their company isn’t doing enough to involve them in these goals. It is clear that businesses have more to do.

There is an incredible opportunity for business leaders to look at the challenge that lies ahead and respond effectively. We recognise businesses have responsibilities to their shareholders and their bottom line, but there is a wealth of evidence to show that sustainability is profitable within a short timescale. Furthermore, sustainability is good for brands – increasingly, there is pressure from shareholders to improve transparency and display real commitment to sustainability.

 

A robust and ambitious response to this pressure is to set science-based targets which provide companies with a roadmap for long-term, effective strategies for carbon emission reduction. This strategy aligns company targets with the Paris Agreement, and lends transparency to value chain emissions.

The fight against climate change is everyone’s, and businesses are in a unique position to lead the charge.

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