The Ten Most Important Success Factors for From A to Zero CO₂

The Ten Most Important Success Factors for ‘From A to Zero CO₂‘

1. The Net Zero ambition, a Climate Policy, must be part of the company’s mission and needs commitment from the management.
   This is the most important for a succesfull journey towards Net Zero CO₂ in 2050. We can provide the needed commitment in your board/management team. Our knowledge about expected guidelines (laws), expertise in stakeholder consultations and benchmarking makes the way to a Net Zero Commitment.
2. A Reduction Strategy and Plan is the next step to realize your goals.
   Staying ‘on track’ with Paris Agreement needs a Reduction Strategy & Plan on longer term. Defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) make it easier to set  goals. Don’t do everything at once, make choices and clear timelines. Together  with investments needed per reduction measurement and set clear responsibilities for the implementation and monitoring.  With an initial focus on promising reduction projects you give your sustainable entrepreneurship a flying start. This success inspires and motivates. Our Climate Neutral Certification program works as a Management system gives the structure to go to Zero CO₂ in an efficient way.
3. Integrate the search for sustainable solutions and improvements in day-to-day operations and business activities.
   This helps CO₂ reduction projects not to be seen as a one-off. Once it is an integral theme within the organisation, actions show better results and they are more visible, making it easier to communicate about them to the outside world.
4. Communicate to the outside world about your way to Zero CO₂, your ambitions and results.
   Be open and transparent! Stakeholders (customers, employees and other concerned parties) can be critical of your actions, and they expect openness. It gives you credibility, even if the reduction results are less than you would have liked. Include the need for timely communication in the project and make sure it is well communicated to the outside world. A CSR report or sustainability report is expected these days.
5. Involve employees on your way to Zero CO₂.
   They often have very good ideas about where to save. It can work well to make enthusiastic committed employees Climate Ambassadors. This has a good influence on the company atmosphere and culture and encourages taking responsibility. Call in experts, and use proven resources and methods if it proves more difficult to get employees moving.
6. Be open to ideas, be creative and innovative.
   Be convinced that a lot can be achieved with a relatively low investment, even without adjusting processes and organisational structures. If necessary, break down fixed thinking patterns and habits with workshops, think tanks and stakeholder sessions.
7. Make transparent everything that has an impact on the climate: the waste and the savings.
   Nowadays this can often be done digitally, through visual controls. A benchmark of how an individual performs against the average or of a department against the company, can add value through providing an incentive. Regular clear and concise internal communication about results achieved is also important.
8. Communicate regularly, in an open and transparent manner, about the results achieved.
   The general annual report, CSR reporting and/or sustainability reporting are all excellent means of presenting the state of affairs. Use other resources such as the website, brochures, newsletters, and press releases for current affairs and achieving milestones. Be proud of what has been achieved and share it.
9. Show clearly the value of the results to Zero CO₂
   Is customer and/or employee satisfaction higher, has money been saved, has profit increased, have more quotations been converted, etc.? If you show that your efforts and results have paid off, it will help you to stay on the path you have chosen.
10. Realise that the road to Zero CO₂ is a process.
    Be alert and proactive. There will have to be regular recalibration. Goals will have to be adjusted and refined and new strategies will be needed. The world around us is changing. This creates new possibilities to reduce more or to reduce where it was not possible before.

On the Go to Zero CO₂?

You can contact us via this form or call +31 302326175