Don’t get stuck in the net zero doom and gloom

The mood music around net zero has taken a nosedive in recent months, but taking a step back, the momentum behind sustainability is still strong. We saw it firsthand at edie25 last week, with close to a thousand sustainability experts full of enthusiasm for solutions and driving decarbonisation forward.  

It was remarked that while net zero scepticism is high at the moment, it is important to reflect on the progress made over past few decades where the strides made towards a more sustainable world have been significant and shouldn’t be discounted. Advances in renewable energy, for example, mean that in 2024, for the first time, over 50% of UK electricity generation was from renewable sources, according to the annual Energy Trends report from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) last week.

Despite political headwinds, corporates are still supportive and maintaining their sustainability initiatives. Research from Workiva, found that 97% of executives agree that a strong sustainability reporting programme will give businesses a competitive advantage in the next two years. This follows the CBI’s analysis earlier this year that green industries are a powerhouse of UK economic growth, with immense potential. 

And just this week, despite all the down-talk on the EV industry, global firms are making great progress towards electrifying their fleets, with nearly 70% of EV100 members (Climate Group’s EV initiative tracking EV adoption) maintaining momentum towards their 100% EV goal.   Over the past year, these companies collectively added 127,000 EVs to their fleets. 

For business leaders there might be the temptation to draw back and stay quiet on their sustainability efforts at the moment, but it’s important to remember that moving towards more sustainable business operations is about progress, not perfection. Tell your story, and be transparent -  beyond the naysayers, there are a larger number of people rooting for sustainable business, so talk to them.