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Guest blog by Rob McCann, Head of Environment, Climate and Nature at Virgin Media O2. Part of techUK's Social Value Campaign Week 2024.
The government has set an ambitious economy-wide target of a 68% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
How’s your organisation’s journey to net zero going?
Technology and connectivity play a central role in how we operate.
They’re widely recognised as being crucial to the net zero transition.
But do you know the impact of technology and connectivity on your net zero plans?
Can you access clear, reliable data about your carbon footprint?
Let’s explore what you need to know to make tracking your own emissions a little bit easier.
Growing costs and customer demands. Ever-evolving employee expectations. A seemingly constant need to keep up with technology investment and training.
And then comes the pressure to keep doing good while you’re focused on keeping the lights on.
From social impact to environmental issues, the temptation during tough economic times is to cut back on things that aren’t seen as critical.
It really is a balancing act.
In fact, 78% of professionals were unable to increase prioritisation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments in 2023, mainly due to financial and capacity constraints.1
But even if your budget is tight, there are ways to achieve your ESG goals and get the balance right. Small changes can add up to make a big impact.
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is the new EU legislation requiring all large organisations to publish regular reports on their environmental and social activities.
The goal is to help them develop more responsible approaches to operating.
One of the ways the CSRD does this is by defining a common reporting framework for non-financial data for the first time, making sure we’re all working from the same blueprint.
Compliance will soon be mandatory – private sector companies will need to submit their report by 1 January 2025 for the 2024 financial year.
But 60% of UK businesses with over 250 employees may not be prepared for reporting on Scope 3 emissions by the deadline.
Meanwhile, as the public sector is setting its goals for decarbonisation, it’s also having to lead from the front.
The NHS has committed to reach net zero by 2040 and over 300 councils have declared climate emergencies in the UK.
Measurement will be vital to making progress. This means harnessing data on everything from energy consumption to utility bills, travel and fuel receipts.
The good news is these fall under Scope 1 and 2 emissions and most organisations should already have this data to hand.
Over 70% of an organisation’s carbon footprint comes from Scope 3 emissions.
These are indirect emissions – when you buy products or services from suppliers, for example.
Emissions-wise, Scope 3 is nearly always the big one. They’re also the hardest to keep track of.
69% of professionals we surveyed told us they aren’t receiving enough information to track the carbon footprint of products from suppliers or can't rely on the accuracy of what is available.1
Yet expectations on supplier partners are high.
89% of respondents expect transparency from their suppliers regarding their own carbon impact.1
Whether you’re in the private or public sector, you likely work with multiple suppliers, all of which will be creating some sort of environmental impact through the products and services you use.
‘Understanding the carbon impact of the products and services we use is a vital first step to reduce emissions across our business. While we understand our own emissions, supplier emissions can often be difficult to track.’
Lindsay Harling
Head of Commissioning and Procurement at Fedcap
Rather than going to all your partners to request this information, they should be able to bring it to you.
That’s why we offer customers a carbon calculator, verified by the Carbon Trust, on some of our most popular digital solutions. It estimates and helps limit the carbon footprint of working with us and our technology.
Building a carbon net zero future is a shared responsibility – a race we all have to complete together.
By sharing data and best practice, the entire UK stands to benefit.
1. Virgin Media O2 Business and Censuswide ESG Spotlight report 2023
2. Model outputs do not constitute a verified product/organisation footprint.
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Head of Central Government Programme, techUK
Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.
Prior to joining techUK in April 2022, Heather worked in the Economic Policy and Small States Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat. She led the organisation’s FinTech programme and worked to create an enabling environment for developing countries to take advantage of the socio-economic benefits of FinTech.
Before moving to the UK, Heather worked at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the Central Bank of The Bahamas.
Heather holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from LSE, and a BA in Economics and Sociology from Macalester College.
Programme Manager, Central Government, techUK
Ellie joined techUK in March 2018 as a Programme Assistant to the Public Sector team and now works as a Programme Manager for the Central Government Programme.
The programme represents the supplier community of technology products and services in Central Government – in summary working to make Government a more informed buyer, increasing supplier visibility in order to improve their chances of supplying to Government Departments, and fostering better engagement between the public sector and industry. To find out more about what we do, how we do this and how you can get involved – make sure to get in touch!
Prior to joining techUK, Ellie completed Sixth Form in June 2015 and went on to work in Waitrose, moved on swiftly to walking dogs and finally, got an office job working for a small local business in North London, where she lives with her family and their two Bengal cats Kai and Nova.
When she isn’t working Ellie likes to spend time with her family and friends, her cats, and enjoys volunteering for diabetes charities. She has a keen interest in writing, escaping with a good book and expanding her knowledge watching far too many quiz shows!
Programme Manager, Cyber Security and Central Government, techUK
Annie joined techUK as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023. In this role, she supports the Cyber Security SME Forum, engaging regularly with key government and industry stakeholders to advance the growth and development of SMEs in the cyber sector.
Before joining techUK, Annie was an Account Manager at a specialist healthcare agency, where she provided public affairs support to a wide range of medical technology clients. She also gained experience as an intern in both an MP’s constituency office and with the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed. Annie holds a degree in International Relations from Nottingham Trent University.
Team Assistant, Markets, techUK
Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes.
Before joining the team, she was working at the Magistrates' Courts in legal administration and graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2022. Ella attained an undergraduate degree in History and Politics, and a master's degree in International Relations and Security Studies, with a particular interest in studying asylum rights and gendered violence.
In her spare time she enjoys going to the gym, watching true crime documentaries, travelling, and making her best attempts to become a better cook.
Head of Environment, Climate and Nature, Virgin Media O2