Guide from energy services and outsourcing company adds to growing library of resources for companies chalking up decarbonisation plans
Mitie has today launched a net zero 'playbook' to support the growing number of businesses looking to decarbonise their operations and value chain in line with global climate goals.
The facilities management and energy services company claims that firms of all sizes will benefit from following the five-step approach towards net zero promoted by its new guide, which offers advice on setting targets, carbon reporting, and execution of net zero plans.
"The journey to net zero can seem a daunting one, with every business following its own path and tackling different challenges along the way," said Pradyumna Pandit, managing director of sustainability and energy services at Mitie. "However, help is at hand. By sharing our Plan Zero Playbook and offering our extensive expertise to other businesses, together we can make net zero happen."
The first step companies should take, according to Mitie, is a thorough assessment of existing net zero progress that explores the tools and data already available, which would also identify any skills, resources, or data gaps that might impede progress.
From there, companies should establish baseline data and targets that provide the backbone of any net zero strategy, while also partnering with independent certification and compliance organisations, it advised.
Once this groundwork has been laid, businesses should then turn to developing practical plans and funding proposals to achieve their targets, focusing on solutions with quick pay backs first, according to Mitie. The company recommends that any financial savings generated from net zero progress - for example through energy efficiency or switching to a clean energy provider - is reinvested back into the net zero programme.
And finally, once the detailed plan has been designed and approved by the relevant stakeholders, companies should start to execute their plans, Mitie said, warning that plans will have to evolve over time as priorities change and new technologies emerge.
The company said the guide had been developed with help from decarbonisation experts from its energy, engineering, fleet, landscapes, and waste divisions, who had drawn from their work with customers and the company's own journey towards net zero carbon emissions.
Mitie, which is aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2025, claims to have helped customers save 300,000 tonnes of carbon, prevented 92,000 tonnes of waste from going to landfill, and provided 12,000 homes with electricity by turning food waste into fuel in the last financial year.
The guide joins a growing library of literature geared at helping companies align their operations and supply chain with global climate goals. Just this week, energy company ENGIE, media group Sky, research body the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and green NGO Green Alliance dicussed best practice when developing a net zero roadmap.