Tatiana Schmollack-Tarasova, BSI 华 (区董 事总 经 理
Chinanews.com, Shanghai News, June 29 (Li Qiuying) On June 27, the British Standards Institution (hereinafter referred to as BSI) successfully held the 7th BSI Internet of Everything Smart Summit Forum in Shanghai. With the theme of "Embracing the AI Era, Standards Empower Organizations to Achieve Sustainable Development", the summit aims to better help Chinese enterprises grasp the new historical opportunities of artificial intelligence technology and accelerate the construction of ESG systems to promote green and sustainable development. At the event, BSI officially released the "2024 Net Zero Observation Indicator White Paper" in China, calling on enterprises and organizations to take effective measures to accelerate the achievement of net zero goals.
For the fourth year in a row, BSI, the UK's national standards body, has published an annual white paper on net zero observations. The study surveyed 1,000 senior decision-makers in UK SMEs to identify key insights and actionable recommendations for actively working to reduce carbon emissions. This year, the study showed that 90% of UK businesses are calling for more government support to help meet their carbon reduction targets, while half of organisations and businesses are facing cost pressures, halting progress towards net zero. While companies are increasingly aware of the economic benefits of reducing carbon emissions, the situation is still not encouraging.
Scott Steedman, President of BSI's Global Standards Division, said: "In this study, I am pleased to see that many companies have put their net-zero ambitions into action. However, we still need to look to the longer term and respond more quickly. Organizations that have not yet adopted a proactive approach to supply chain management can also be forced to join the net-zero initiative due to the impact of non-financial reporting. From the government side, now is a critical time to establish a clear policy environment that encourages businesses to start investing and innovating towards net zero. Over the past 12 months, we have made tremendous progress in aligning international standards with net-zero transitions and disclosure needs. Now is the opportunity to step up our efforts to promote the implementation of best practices for decarbonization across all sectors. By improving their own performance and boosting stakeholder confidence, early movers are expected to help accelerate progress towards a sustainable future together. ”
Net Zero Observation Indicators 2024 White Paper
The 2024 Net Zero Metrics Metrics Indicators White Paper survey found that the number of organizations making decarbonization commitments has doubled over the past four years, from 40% to 83%. At the same time, the proportion of companies that now believe they can achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 has increased from 68% in 2021 to 73%. Currently, 59% of companies measure Scope 3 emissions (full or partial), almost double the 27% in 2021. Nearly one in two (48%) companies cited cost reduction as a key motivator, an increase from two-fifths last year, indicating a greater awareness of the economic value of accelerating their journey to net zero emissions and a growing understanding of the economic impact of sustainability initiatives.
However, there are still opportunities and challenges in achieving the net-zero goal. While the majority (83%) of companies surveyed are committed to achieving the UK's statutory net zero targets, a quarter (23%) of those surveyed said they were not confident of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, only 35% had set a target to achieve net zero emissions, and 28% said they had no plans to take action to reduce carbon emissions in the next 12 months. Only 15% of companies have published an annual report that includes information on carbon emissions, and only 18% have a dedicated team to implement net-zero initiatives. When asked why, 92% of policymakers surveyed said there were still barriers, nearly half (47%) said cost was an obstacle to reducing carbon emissions, and two-fifths of respondents cited cost as the main obstacle. On this basis, clarity and comprehensibility play an important role in hindering action on net zero, with 23% of companies and organizations believing that the lack of clarity on the meaning of net zero and the guidelines for action is preventing small and medium-sized enterprises as well as large enterprises from taking action.
Based on the above research, the 2024 Net Zero Observation Indicators White Paper provides key insights for organizations and enterprises to achieve their net-zero goals, including the following:
Aim for goals, take action, and use data to make informed decisions. Businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, must act now if they want to remain in the system to achieve net-zero emissions as cost-effectively as possible.
See achieving net-zero emissions as an opportunity to innovate. There is also an opportunity for companies to generate additional benefits when exploring decarbonization strategies to reduce emissions.
Think of net-zero spending as a long-term investment, not a cost. For small businesses, the cost of achieving net-zero emissions targets may seem unreasonable. But the cost of inaction is likely to be much higher than the cost of investing in net-zero emissions today.
Use standards to start collaborations. The use of uniform standards, methodologies and frameworks throughout the supply chain will make it easier for companies to communicate their actions to shareholders, investors and customers, and enhance their credibility and transparency.
The environment matters. Governments also have an important role to play in supporting businesses by creating a coordinated policy environment that gives them the freedom to invest and innovate to achieve net-zero targets.
At the event, Tatiana Schmollack-Tarasova, Managing Director of BSI Greater China, officially announced the launch of the 2024 Net Zero Observation Indicators White Paper in China and shared key insights from the report, saying: "Taking action to achieve net zero is expected to allow SMEs to demonstrate their agility in acting. This is a great opportunity for organizations to adopt new technologies, rely on AI and automation tools to innovate, and leverage digitalization to reduce costs and drive decarbonization. Opportunities are always everywhere, as long as you are good at seizing them. Standards can provide organizations with a secure, industry-led path to best practices to help them take action to achieve their goals. We call on organizations to turn ambition into action, to stay one step ahead of the curve on net-zero action, to make the most of data, to find innovative ways to invest in net-zero emissions over the long term, and to accelerate progress towards a just society and a sustainable world. ”
At the summit, Wan Yang, Director of Sustainability at BSI Asia Pacific, delivered a keynote report on "Global Insights: Top 10 ESG Trends", bringing relevant insights on carbon emission reduction and ESG issues in the Chinese market. He pointed out that the release of the 2024 Net Zero Observation Indicators White Paper is highly consistent with the summit and the development of China's sustainable industries in the future. In the Chinese market, climate change and energy transition have become the top issues for sustainable development. At the same time, carbon neutrality is already being redefined, and ISO released a new standard on carbon neutrality last year, ISO 14068-1. For example, some time ago, China officially issued the "Implementation Plan on the Establishment of a Carbon Footprint Management System", which aims to help achieve the "double carbon" goal. In addition, he highlighted the growing importance of standards and certifications in this context. Achieving net-zero emissions across society will require cross-sectoral cooperation. Standards play a crucial role in this process, acting as a powerful accelerator to help us achieve this ambitious goal faster and more efficiently
BSI's Net Zero Watch 2024 White Paper highlights the gap between confidence and action, calling on companies to take action to achieve their decarbonisation targets. Its first release in China will provide constructive advice for Chinese companies to achieve their net-zero goals in the future, help them better understand market trends, call on companies to take joint action, accelerate the construction of ESG systems, and help companies seize the new historical opportunities of sustainable development. Leave no one behind, and walk hand in hand on the journey to net zero.
Editor: Li Qiuying