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Why tracking your tech emissions matters in 2024
Fighting Climate Change- Effective Stewardship of the Environment
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.
Make your carbon footprint a priority
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 clock is ticking to start reporting
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.
Supplier emissions are the tricky bit
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.’
Lean on your partners for help
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.
Heather Cover-Kus
Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.
Ellie Huckle
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.
Annie Collings
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.
Ella Gago-Brookes
Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes.
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