Getting Your Net Zero Progress on Track With Powerstar

A new year means that the UK’s net zero deadline of 2050 is another year closer. While that may still seem like a long way off, for organisations to be able to reach net zero requires decisive action now. 

The Climate Change Committee has already warned that timescales are slipping, with emissions reductions needing a four-fold increase to meet interim 2030 targets. While the UK’s electricity mix is decarbonising at pace, industry, the built environment and transport is lagging behind. 

For individual businesses, this presents a substantial challenge. On the one hand, a lack of a clear pathway to net zero makes planning for the future challenging. On the other, failing to act on their own initiative and commit to a clear net zero strategy leaves them increasingly exposed to future legislation designed to get the UK’s collective decarbonisation efforts back on track. Finding the funds to invest in low carbon technologies may be a challenge, but an organisation finding themselves behind the pace and with huge improvements to make up in a brief period down the line is a much bigger threat.  

Fortunately, investing in net zero efforts now isn’t just a box-ticking exercise in terms of preparing for future requirements. Today, hundreds of UK businesses are securing lower energy costs, better power resilience and new opportunities for growth through careful, well-planned investment in clean technologies, while also ensuring they are preparing for a net zero future. Many of those are doing so with the support of Powerstar, delivering comprehensive energy management strategies that offer a clear pathway towards net zero while also building on other priorities.  

SMEs Increasingly Behind the Pace 

One major milestone on that path is for businesses to commit to halving their emissions by 2030. The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 11% of businesses have still made no action towards decarbonisation. Last year, research by NatWest found that 87% of UK SMEs are unaware of their businesses total carbon emissions, despite most knowing that it was important to reduce it. Without an accurate baseline in place, quantifying and accurately reducing carbon emissions becomes impossible. 

For SMEs, the most common concerns when it comes to acting on net zero are around cost and feasibility. In a survey by the British Business Bank, 35% of respondents cited costs as the biggest limiting factor, while 32% had concerns surrounding feasibility, with concerns around supply chain partners or their ability to select the right solution to invest in commonly cited. Tellingly, for those businesses that had already invested in sustainability, the most frequent reason was simply that it made financial sense, while simply keeping up with legislation trailed in last place. 

Whatever the size of your business, Powerstar specialises in supporting your organisation throughout your energy transition journey. Whether you have started carbon reduction efforts already or are worried that time is running out to act, we can guide you through the process, using comprehensive feasibility studies as a starting point to identify the solutions that are the best fit for your organisation.  

Every organisation’s specific pathway to net zero will be different, depending on their current progress, operations and the nature of their industry. However, whatever the journey they take, there are a host of benefits to be unlocked by acting decisively now, including: 

• Lower runnings costs 
• Attracting new customers and investment 
• Establishing and maintaining competitive advantage 
• Stronger, more reliable supply chains 
• A more resilient business 

By acting decisively now, you can ensure that your organisation is not only prepared for any future net zero requirements that may be expected of you, but are actively securing the many benefits that better sustainability can offer your business now.