The UK government set a legally binding Net Zero by 2050 target, and currently holds the COP presidency for the year after hosting COP26 in Glasgow, in 2021. In order to reach those targets, every business in the UK needs to get involved in Race to Zero, to ensure we are delivering our Net Zero targets and implementing change.
Below is an overview of the Race to Zero campaign and an explanation of how you and your business can get involved.
Race To Zero
Race to Zero is a campaign to rally non-state actors, such as businesses, investors, cities and regions and educational institutions, to take immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. Every member is committed to the same goals: reducing emissions across all scopes swiftly and fairly, in line with the Paris Agreement.
Members are asked to make a public commitment to meeting 2050 and 2030 climate targets. They are then asked to submit evidence of this public commitment to net zero to the Under2 Coalition Secretariat. Participants must take part in Net Zero Futures and take part in the dialogue series, to ensure they receive a profile as a state and regional Net Zero Leader, as well as through the Race to Zero campaign. Finally, the Under2 Coalition Secretariat will share the Race to Zero Member Toolkit to guide the new members announcements and communications.
How can you get involved?
You can join the Race to Zero as an initiative, network or actor. Initiatives and networks are invited to become partners of The Race to Zero, while those applying to be actors are first invited to join an initiative or network, to ensure they are directly included in the Race to Zero.
Beyond officially joining the campaign as a partner or member, there are also measures you can take within your own business to ensure you are acting on your pledge to reach Net Zero.
Be an advocate
There are so many ways you can be an advocate for Net Zero. Beyond the obvious campaigning for more to be done by the government to combat climate change, have you considered a specific cause you could be an advocate for? Insulate Britain for example, are advocates for insulating the homes of Britain.
Perhaps you could be an advocate for low-income households who can’t afford to install carbon saving measures themselves, and rely on measures such as ECO funding to raise their EPC rating. Continue to lobby the government to ensure these means are accessible to those who need them, so we can ensure Britain’s existing homes meet our environmental standard.
Achieving Net Zero will require businesses and individuals across all sectors to make real changes. It is more than making a public pledge to make a change. We need to see businesses pledging to change their internal policies and ultimately reducing their output of emissions, so that others will follow in their shoes.
Leave a Reply