The worldwide drive towards climate change has seen various countries setting some climate change goals. The UK being one of those. Some of the matters that have been included on their list are to have emissions reduced to 78% by the year 2035. This target specifically is comparable to that of the 1990 levels and has also been enshrined into law. A more remarkable goal has probably been to balance the greenhouse gas emissions with those that are removed from the atmosphere. The net-zero goal has been set for 2050.
Shifting away from the target
British business leaders are putting the brakes on their plans to combat climate change and do not believe the government’s approach to net zero is compatible with growth, a survey of 1,000 executives showed on Tuesday. Both large companies and small enterprises in health, construction, finance, and manufacturing are turning away from climate-related action like target-setting, as falling confidence in Britain’s climate agenda and high costs turn the tide on enthusiasm for net zero, the survey by the British Standards Institution (BSI) showed.
The shift is happening despite the Labour government’s commitment to boosting green growth, and substantial pledges for investment in clean energy, green technology, and jobs. Green technology specifically refers to not only the development, but also the use of technology that is aimed at minimizing the negative impact of human activities on the environment. Some of the research areas that fall within this scope are energy, material science, agriculture, etc.
Setting the standards for change
Almost three-quarters (71%) of business leaders surveyed said the government cannot expand the economy while at the same time trying to reach net-zero. Half (50%) said that the objective was unrealistic, according to the findings by the BSI, which sets best-practice quality requirements for anything from ballpoint pens to net-zero plans. BSI refers to the British Standards Institution. It serves as the national standards body for the whole of the UK.
It was established as early as 1901. The technical standards provided cover a wide range of services and products. The institution also provides relevant certification services to personnel as well as businesses. The turnaround in sentiment coincides with a notable drop-off in corporate target-setting, action, and climate commitments among British businesses, with firms citing high costs, lack of finance for green tech, and a move to prioritize business growth as barriers, the BSI said.
An unreachable climate goal for the UK?
Scott Steedman, director general of standards at BSI, said the survey showed a “hiatus in corporate activity probably linked to changes in government policy in the UK after the election and international backpedaling.” Only a third (36%) of British businesses claim this year they have set targets to achieve net zero, a significant drop from the 58% who stated they had done so last year, the survey shows.
The portion of businesses this year taking climate action has also fallen markedly from 83% in 2024 to just under a half (49%) this year. Overall, the proportion of businesses saying they felt they would likely achieve net zero by 2050 fell from 76% last year to 55% this year, with over half expecting to revise their strategies or targets. However, the BSI said the vast majority of businesses (83%) still wanted to take action and would like support to do so.
Net zero in itself is a target that has been set for eliminating greenhouse gas emissions that are produced by human activities. This is accomplished when there is a decrease in global emissions. It was commonly agreed within the scientific community that the best way to mitigate these matters would be to reduce worldwide net human-generated carbon dioxide emissions. The figure that they had in mind was about 45% of the 2010 levels by the year 2030, with the zero-emissions target set for the year 2050.
GCN.com/Reuters