Building Your Net-Zero Emissions Road Map
Corporate net-zero emissions announcements are coming in fast and furious. In recent years, a growing number of cities, regions and companies have taken significant steps to reduce emissions to attempt to limit global warming and climate change.
Planning and hitting your net-zero goals won’t happen overnight, but that doesn’t mean that it needs to be complicated. All you need to get started is a road map to help you achieve your goals – and we have just the one you need.
In our Building Your Net-Zero Road Map e-book, we’re providing you with the information you need to inform your sustainable energy transition. It’s the second installment of our two-part net-zero series aimed at helping you to better plan, finance and achieve your net-zero emissions transition.
If you’ve already read the first net-zero e-book, Financing Your Net-Zero Transition, keep reading to learn more about how you can build a plan to turn your emissions reduction goals into reality.
What is net-zero, and why is it so important?
You can’t start your net-zero transition without a full understanding of what net-zero is and why it’s so important.
Net-zero emissions are what happen when man-made greenhouse gas emissions are avoided or offset through reduction measures. Consider it a balancing act between emissions that are produced and emissions that are offset or avoided through alternative zero emission activities. (Learn more about rejected waste and how that energy reduction process works in our blog post.)
But unless you stop using energy altogether, investing in energy efficiency and renewables (i.e., solar energy, wind energy, fleet electrification and battery energy storage systems) are a critical tools to achieving net-zero emissions – and in a lot less time. The benefits to incorporating energy efficiency and renewables to achieve net-zero emissions are clear: Think more health advantages through lowered air pollution, less carbon emissions and potential savings on energy costs.
The good news is that greater market adoption in recent years – coupled with falling solar, wind and battery costs – means making that shift to renewables may be easier than you think. So, now is the time to create your organization’s customized road map to find ways to incorporate energy efficiency and renewables into your energy mix.
Greenhouse Gas and Scope Emissions
Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. If you’ve looked into ways to reduce your organization’s greenhouse gas emissions, chances are you’ve come across these popular industry terms.
In short, greenhouse gas emissions are broken down into three groups, or “scopes,” based on where they originate:
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- Scope 1 Emissions: Greenhouse gas emissions that are the direct result of owned or controlled sources
- Scope 2 Emissions: Greenhouse gas emissions indirectly resulting from the generation of purchased energy
- Scope 3 Emissions: Greenhouse gas emissions indirectly resulting from the extraction of purchased materials and fuels as well as transport-related activities
At the core of every decarbonization effort is an effort to effectively measure and track greenhouse gas emissions. So, whether you’re just starting to develop your net-zero road map or are learning how to report your results along the way, getting a better understanding of these terms will help you recognize and prioritize your investments and actions.
In our e-book, we don’t just break down the definitions for scope emissions and what each scope means for your organization. We’ve also included information to better help you understand where to invest first and specific strategies for lowering your emissions in each scope.
How to finance and hit your net-zero goals
We know that planning, financing and achieving your net-zero transition won’t always be easy. That’s why our Building Your Net Zero Emissions Road Map e-book is designed to help you no matter where you are in your net-zero journey.
Download it today to learn more about how to incorporate renewables into your net-zero road map, options to reduce your Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions faster and a glossary of commonly used terms that will help guide you on your net-zero journey.
