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The latest UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, reaffirms that human activities are responsible for the increasing temperatures of the earth, warning that if warming continues at its current rate, we are likely to reach a warming of 1.5°c between 2030 and 2052.
This is predicted to bring about several impacts including rising sea levels, more extreme and more frequent extreme weather events, and rising temperatures. It is therefore vital that we all start to take action to reduce the level of warming occurring.
Since December 2016, many local authorities have declared a climate emergency, in fact over 1,900 local governments in 34 countries have made climate emergency declarations.
In March 2019, a Climate Emergency was declared in Plymouth and a pledge was made to make Plymouth carbon neutral by 2030. Carbon neutral meaning that we aim to cancel out the carbon emissions that we produce; primarily, by reducing emissions as much as possible, and then by offsetting the remaining emissions through various carbon-capture initiatives, such as tree planting and seagrass bed development.
The Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP) lists all the actions that are being taken here in Plymouth, as well as listing other partners and stakeholders in the Plymouth Net Zero Partnership.
Businesses will play a huge role in achieving the goals within the plan and the Plymouth Net Zero Partnership are already pushing boundaries, facilitating rich conversations, and engaging business leaders who want to add their voice in a collective and collaborative call for change.
Consisting of an abundance of organisations and settings from the City, the partnership aims to bring together a citywide leadership group to drive the necessary actions, informed by the available science and latest research, needed to achieve carbon neutrality within Plymouth by 2030.
The plan outlines how as a City we will reduce emissions and encourage others to do the same along the way. There are many tangible business benefits that can be unlocked by thinking about the future for Plymouth becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Whether that is by creating a competitive edge; as we see consumers demanding products and services that are greener, cleaner, and more eco-friendly; or by reducing your businesses energy consumption.
Businesses of all sizes and across all sectors can contribute actively and tangibly to a net zero economy in Plymouth through their actions, intentions, and innovations. With a vast number of resources on offer, your business can not only play a leading role, but also reap the benefits.
There is a list of benefits that businesses can gain by taking environmental action, with some of these listed below:
Protecting the economy from future shocks by mitigating against climate vulnerabilities and acting ahead of government legislation.
Recruiting the best workers who increasingly want to work for environmentally conscious employers.
Cost reduction - Costs can be reduced by implementing energy management, smart meters, increasing efficiency of lighting and heating, re-designing products to reduce inputs, using local suppliers to lower transport costs, using recycled materials, reusing waste products and reducing the cost of dealing with waste
Having a strong environmental policy can differentiate your businesses from others in the market
Meeting the environmental requirement of investors
Opening up the opportunity to provide new products and services
Building a good reputation for you organisation
Creating co-benefits that go beyond the environment such as improving the lives of the communities though impacts such as improved air quality and, consequently, improved health