With COP27 taking place in Egypt this November bringing world leaders together to focus on climate change and sustainability, LCR High Growth Programme reached out to Liverpool City Region thought leaders to see how we can move to building sustainable business growth.
We interviewed Dr Stephen Finnegan of Arete Zero Carbon to gather his thoughts on building #SustainableLCR.
Liverpool-based Arete Zero Carbon are working alongside global multinational brands and SMEs across various sectors, including KFC, Tech Data, Hill Dickinson and Victorian Plumbing in the development of net zero carbon plans.
The business, which was established last year by multi-family investment firm, Arete Capital Partners, is led by Dr Stephen Finnegan and was formed in response to UK government legislation that now requires all UK businesses to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Stephen, who has 25+ years of experience in developing low and zero carbon strategies for numerous public and private sector businesses, is one of the UK’s most experienced strategists in the field and has been instrumental in Arete Zero Carbon’s growth.
Q: Many businesses may not know how they can begin their sustainability journey, or how they work towards net zero targets (2040 for the Liverpool City Region, 2050 Nationally), what would you say their starting point should be?
A:“They should definitely start by looking at the GHG Protocol. This is the worlds standard for carbon reporting and accounting. It is fundamental for any business who is aiming to be Net Zero Carbon”
Q: Why is it important for businesses to think more sustainably and in an energy crisis, is businesses awareness of sustainability more, or less heightened?
A: It is now a business imperative to be Net Zero Carbon. All supply chains must decarbonise and every SME and large corporate will eventually have to follow suite. The UK Government has already mandated that any company bidding for projects over £5 million needs to have a carbon reduction plan through a PPN 06/21 note.
Q: What is the most impactful change businesses can make to become more sustainable?
A: The most important thing to do is to make a start. No matter how small, just begin the journey and start thinking about the carbon impact of your supply chain.
Q: How do you see the clean growth industry changing over the next few years and what should businesses be planning for now?
A: All businesses need to prepare for tighter regulations on carbon impact. Moreover, our next generation will want to be employed by businesses who are taking this seriously.
You can access ‘Carbon Offsetting: Making the Right Choice’ guide from the Arete Zero Carbon website.