A think tank has published a new report to help ambitious companies achieve their net zero goals by improving engagement between sustainability staff and their C-suite leaders.

The Net Zero Business Transformation Report, published by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), is aimed at sustainability practitioners to help them engage decision makers and adopt a ‘whole-system approach’ to net zero.

It explores:

  • The case for change in an increasingly volatile and unpredictable world
  • The key findings of a year-long analysis of corporate approaches to net zero transformation
  • The four critical levels that companies need to understand to deliver net zero transformation –  individual leadership; the company; its value chain; and the wider system
  • CISL’s Net Zero Transformation Framework and its five essential steps to accelerate change at the scale required
  • A call to action for companies to engage in a set of pre-competitive development areas.

The report, which was produced with the input of 30 leading organisations including Ikea, Salesforce and Unilever, also contains numerous case studies of companies and their net zero actions. CISL said it hoped the examples would serve to “inspire and support others in their transformation efforts”.

‘A map through rocky terrain’

“A growing number of companies understand their role in a sustainable society and recognise their responsibilities to a broad spectrum of stakeholders; nevertheless, while the net zero destination is clear, the route to reaching it is murkier,” explained Geraldine Matchett, Co-CEO of Royal DSM, one of the contributing organisations.

“The new CISL framework acts as a map through this rocky terrain. The research, ideas and guidance provided here will help accelerate the drive towards net zero, no matter what stage a business is at in its journey.”

The framework is the latest collaborative attempt by leading companies to create useful resources for businesses on their net zero journey. Other examples include Transform to Net Zero, an initiative led by nine of the world’s biggest companies that is developing guidance and roadmaps for others to follow.

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