The Climate Of Business #111: How to turn sustainability and decarbonisation efforts into ROI for a business?
Photo: Jacek Mleczek, Pexels

The Climate Of Business #111: How to turn sustainability and decarbonisation efforts into ROI for a business?

Climate Change Reality

  • El Ni?o could push temperatures higher after 2023 breaks heat records (Euronews )
  • Thunderstorms and deadly earthquakes caused $250 billion in damages in 2023 (CNBC )
  • Pothole reports hit a five-year high in 2023 (BBC )
  • London and other UK cities unprepared for effects of climate change (Financial Times )

Credit: Financial Times

  • Climate crisis to increase cancer risk for tens of millions of people in Bangladesh (The Guardian )
  • Climate goals in jeopardy without increased efforts from governments (Euronews )
  • Global Emissions Could Peak Sooner Than You Think (WIRED )
  • Climate records tumbled ‘like dominoes’ during world’s hottest year (Financial Times )
  • Greenland losing 30m tonnes of ice an hour, study reveals (The Guardian )
  • Butterflies could 'lose spots as climate warms' (BBC )

Business Climate Reality

  • EU Policy: Geothermal potential in northern, western Europe flagged as lawmakers (Euronews )
  • What Tata's plans mean for UK's carbon footprint (BBC )
  • Carbon released by bottom trawling ‘too big to ignore’, says study (The Guardian )
  • Global coal use to reach record high in 2023, energy agency says (Al Jazeera )
  • Shell under fire from Europe’s largest asset manager over climate policy (Financial Times )

All industries are exposed to some level of climate risk through acute and chronic hazards. Credit: World Economic Forum

  • Edgbaston cuts emissions by third in England-NZ T20 (BBC )
  • EU Policy: End of the line for diesel-powered lorries and buses (Euronews )
  • EU bans ‘misleading’ environmental claims that rely on offsetting (The Guardian )
  • Australia is preparing to burn – more fossil fuels (Al Jazeera )
  • UK aviation industry calls for more state help to switch to greener fuel (Financial Times )

Reality Check

This week’s newsletter is a deep dive into the explicit relationship between two pivotal terms that carry significant weight within the sphere of sustainable business practices: decarbonisation and return on investment (ROI). At its essence, decarbonisation , as outlined by Plan A, entails the decrease or elimination of human-generated carbon emissions in the atmosphere.

This necessitates stringent actions to mitigate carbon emissions stemming from an organisation's operations. It's important to distinguish decarbonisation from climate neutrality, which can be achieved solely through the acquisition of carbon credits. Decarbonisation is focused on achieving authentic reductions in both absolute carbon emissions and intensity.?

The business case for decarbonisation

Decarbonisation is this century's opportunity for businesses. In an era where climate change is irrefutable, understanding the ROI of decarbonisation is more than an environmental necessity; it's a cornerstone for competitive advantage and business resilience.

With the market for decarbonisation accelerating rapidly, companies that adopt holistic and genuine decarbonisation strategies are not only staying compliant and mitigating risks but also unlocking new avenues for value creation and financial growth. As highlighted within Plan A’s comprehensive return on investment (ROI) of decarbonisation whitepaper , a few further benefits include:?

  • Financial resilience
  • Energy savings and efficiency gains
  • Access to subsidies, grants, and tax benefits
  • Improved stakeholder and investor relations

Decarbonisation’s market potential

The financial implications are equally noteworthy. The global decarbonisation market is set for remarkable expansion, with projections indicating a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.7% from 2021 to 2026. By 2032, it is anticipated to achieve multi-billion-dollar valuations, experiencing an even more pronounced CAGR of 14.27% from 2022 to 2032. Fueled by the urgent challenges posed by climate change and situated within the broader framework of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations, businesses are directing their focus towards decarbonisation.?

As sustainability becomes intricately woven into digital transformation strategies, a fresh corporate mindset is taking shape — one that perceives sustainability as both a lucrative business opportunity and a crucial risk mitigation strategy. However, businesses who wish to gain a competitive edge must ensure they are adequately equipped with the knowledge and skills to explore such a burgeoning market for decarbonisation, enabling them to uncover how to leverage this trend to maximise ROI.

Transitioning to a decarbonised future

A number of practical strategies that business must integrate into the DNA of their business to ensure a seamless transition towards a decarbonised model include:

  1. Initiating decarbonisation processes
  2. Measuring emissions
  3. Sustainability reporting
  4. Setting decarbonisation targets
  5. Reducing carbon emissions
  6. Continuous improvement

The 6 key steps to leveraging the immense ROI opportunities associated with decarbonisation. Credit: Plan A

Future outlook

While many companies traditionally used carbon compensation as a method to mitigate their emissions, the landscape is quickly evolving. The carbon-offset market, which encompasses various credits including reduction, avoidance, and removal of emissions, is anticipated to expand from $2 billion in 2022 to a staggering $250 billion by 2050 .

This growth is not just due to the volume of offsets but also a shift in the type of projects supported. For instance, while the majority of the current market (82%) focuses on avoiding or reducing future emissions, like those from renewable energy projects or conservation efforts, there’s an anticipated shift towards removal credits, which ameliorate past emissions through actions such as tree planting or carbon capture from industrial processes.

Plan A, your best partner for decarbonisation

Embark on your decarbonisation journey with Plan A as your steadfast companion. Plan A’s commitment to fostering sustainability and our in-depth comprehension of market dynamics position us as your quintessential partner. Whether you are at the onset of your journey or aiming to refine your existing initiatives, Plan A offers bespoke solutions designed to meet your distinctive needs and optimise your decarbonisation ROI.

Ready to realise the immense ROI potential of sustainability? Talk with Plan A’s decarbonisation experts today.

Carbon Price



Liz Stark

Head of Marketing & Business Development, Cambridge Business Sustainability Management Alumni, Climate Fresk

9 个月

Very interesting read.

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Andy Miller Business Scientist -??Up Corporate Imagination

SUPER-CHARGE NETZERO. Achieve Break-Through Moments. @NetZeroMAP.org @ClimateEarthConsulting.com??Coaching Parents & Kids INNER DEVELOPMENT: Relationship to Self Earth & Each Other @PeopleClimateEarth.com??

9 个月

https://theclimatecoaches.com This peer-review published psychology tool we developed for leadership teams uses Inner Development Goals to help people tap into our feelings around climate & sustainability, the degree of behaviour change required, and blocks we all need to confront to accept reality and move forward gracefully, with ROI in mind. And its FUN!

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So insightful. It's unfortunately how we have to make the clear and true argument that sustainability is good for business – when the fate of our planet should be reason enough. Regardless, this argument needs to be made to ensure action is taken in the business world. Thanks for sharing Lubomila Jordanova

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Mads Oscar Haumann

Strategies for sustainability beyond ‘no harm’ ?? Follow for daily insights and cases each Friday → Sustainability strategies that respect social and planetary boundaries. Speaker, Author & Founder.

9 个月

All sustainability actions should be an integrated part of the business model.

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Lucas Pimenta

Director of Customer Success | Global Customer Leader | Enterprise Customer Onboarding | AI | CRM | Fortune 500 | SaaS | B2B | EU Citizen

10 个月

It's inspiring to see strategies that not only contribute to climate action but also result in tangible returns on investment. The emphasis on innovative approaches and collaboration showcases a promising path for businesses to align profit motives with the imperative of environmental responsibility. Lubomila Jordanova great article, thanks for sharing!

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