ISEP Pathways to Net Zero

1.  Why net zero?

·       Explain what is net zero and related terms

·       Explain the urgency of the underlying climate science driving the net zero agenda

·       Explain the main international policy context for responding to the climate crisis

·       Explain the UK policy context and drivers

·       Summary of scientific consensus on climate action and principal recommendations of the IPCC AR6 Climate Change 2021 report and explanation of the key greenhouse gases

·       Climate model predictions and scenarios including carbon budgets and reduction pathways necessary to keep warming below 1.5 globally (and the necessity for net zero)

·       International agreements and governance for net zero including the Paris Agreement 2015

·       Differences for a net zero approach between global level, state level entities and individual actors (e.g., companies)

·       Introduction to outline terms including net zero, carbon neutral, climate neutral, climate positive (and negative)

·       Introduction to carbon offsets and carbon removals

·       UK context – Climate Change Act, SECR and ESOS

2.  Responding to net zero

·       Explain the risks and opportunities of net zero including on future business viability, reputation, supply chain vulnerabilities etc

·       Explain the business and environmental benefits of low-carbon goods and services

·       Explain the requisite corporate governance, resourcing and accountability for delivering net zero

·       What makes a robust net zero claim?

·       An overview of supporting initiatives, standards and frameworks including Race to Zero (UNFCCC)

·       Race to Zero Breakthrough Initiatives (from different sectors)

·       Risks and opportunities across the value chain from the transition away from fossil fuels (including risks from stranded assets)

·       Building capacity for net zero – required governance, senior leadership – getting buy-in

·       Developing internal capacity for delivering net zero – role of training, internal communication, procurement, finance, IT coalitions etc

3.  Greenhouse gas accounting: a primer

·       Explain how to establish a greenhouse gas inventory across all three scopes

·       Explain the main principles of greenhouse gas accounting (including using activity data and emission factors)

·       Explain different types of carbon footprint (basic overview – corporate, product/lifecycle, country- level, individual etc)

·       The main principles of establishing a greenhouse gas inventory and the differences between Scope 1, 2 and 3

·       Greenhouse Gas Protocol corporate standard and supplementary guidance (inc. Scope 2     standard, Scope 3 Value Chain standard) and other relevant standards including ISO 14064 and other carbon accounting standards

·       Databases of emissions factors (Defra, ICE etc)

·       Be able to explain the difference between location-based and market-based carbon accounting for Scope 2 emissions and why dual disclosure is important

·       Basics of putting together an initial Scope 3 screening (e.g., using the Quantis Evaluator tool)

·       Improving Scope 3 data over-time (e.g., moving from spend based to activity-based carbon calculations)

4.  Carbon neutrality

·       Explain what carbon neutral means and its application for organisations, products and services

·       Understanding the difference between net zero, carbon neutral

·       Carbon neutrality – outline methodology using PAS 2060 as a reference

5.  Net zero methodologies

·       Explain how to establish science-based targets (methodologies)

·       Explain how to establish a net zero strategy (near- and long-term targets)

·       Science-based targets – calculating

·       Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and its Net Zero Standard

·       Carbone4 Net Zero Initiative

·       Sector-based methodologies

6.  Developing a decarbonisation plan

·       Implement a decarbonisation plan with suitable targets and milestones to deliver on a science-based target and/or net zero objective

·       IEMA Pathways to Net Zero and the Greenhouse Gas Management Hierarchy

·       Developing a decarbonisation plan to deliver on net zero

·       Avoiding and eliminating emissions – examples and key considerations

·       Reducing emissions and energy management – examples and key considerations

·       Substituting emissions – examples and key considerations

·       Compensation and neutralisation – examples and key considerations including nature-based solutions. The role of carbon offsets alongside reduction strategies

·       Use of financial mechanisms such as internal carbon pricing

·       Dealing with uncertainty with longer-term targets (costing, technologies, processes)

·       Examples of decarbonisation strategies from different sectors including decarbonising property, transport, industrial processes etc

·       Purchasing renewable energy – certification requirements

7.  Net zero across the value chain

·       Explain how to reduce greenhouse emissions where these are influenced but not directly controlled (Scope 3)

·       Collaborating with your supply chain and other partner organisations on data collection, target setting and decarbonisation. The benefits of managing this with wider sustainability risks (modern slavery, conflict/critical minerals/environmental issues etc).

·       Approaches for working with the value chain (e.g., CDP supply chain reporting processes)

8.  Communicating net zero

·       Explain how to communicate externally about responses to the climate crisis, net zero and making robust green claims

·       Communicating on a net zero objective and its progress – what good practice looks like

·       Communicating the environmental benefits of low-carbon goods and services

·       Green claims fundamentals and examples and how to avoid greenwash

·       Relevance of net zero to reporting frameworks including CDP and TCFD