- 1. Introduction to the report
Facing tough challenges ahead: the easy actions have been taken
Across industry we are working to support the government’s 2050 net zero target, and we have no doubt all seen firsthand the advances we have made on measuring, managing and reducing carbon over the last decade. We have come a long way in that time.
But we still have a long way to go and we cannot hide from the reality that the progress we have made has largely been the easy progress. We’ve picked a lot of the low-hanging fruit and now we need to reach higher.
There are many tough decisions still to come but we, as a nation, must face these if we are to reach net zero by 2050. Sharing our experiences, pooling our thoughts and learning from each other are all tools that will help us face the challenge. We also need to influence the wider industry and show what can be achieved.
For these reasons, Carbon Crunch is as relevant in 2024 as it was when it was first launched in 2013. At the outset it was about raising awareness, today it’s about sharing solutions.
In previous years, Carbon Crunch has very much homed in on the “how” of decarbonisation. However, in 2024, as in recent years, we continue to widen our focus and not just think about decarbonisation but also to consider the challenges climate change presents in the context of climate resilience, the environment and society. The theme of Carbon Crunch this year is “Beyond net zero: the wider benefits” to reflect the broader scope of what we must achieve.
There are many tough decisions still to come but we, as a nation, must face these if we are to reach net zero by 2050.
This report aims to bring you the key messages from our expert speaker line up from the event in Manchester in October 2024 with overviews of the presentations, combined with videos of selected sessions that will give you more in-depth detail.
During the event, speakers shared with us the wider challenges or opportunities – what we’re calling the co-benefits – that we can deliver alongside decarbonisation: enhanced biodiversity, a stronger economy and improved social value. Like the decisions we face on decarbonisation, balancing co-benefits and working out how to prioritise them will not be easy.
When I think of this balancing act, I’m reminded of how we closed out the 2023 Carbon Crunch event by considering how to effectively present the business case for carbon reduction. At the end of last year’s event, Lieutenant General Richard Nugee talked about the obstacles he faced in his former role as climate change and sustainability strategy lead for the Ministry of Defence. Initial resistance he faced boiled down to presenting the business case in the right way and demonstrating the broader benefits it could deliver for military effectiveness. He said that we could have the greenest armed forces in the world but military is paid to win, it is paid to come first, it is paid to protect us – coming second isn’t an option.
So, he focused his business case on capability. The key point he made was that the military can’t be green and less effective, it had to be green and more effective. Richard’s idea of building the business case for decarbonisation with a focus on the co-benefits it can bring is something we must all consider. As you read this report, and watch back the videos of the sessions, I urge you to think about: how can we be green and bring wider environmental benefits; how can we be green and deliver better value for money; how can we be green and improve asset management; how can we be green and deliver a better customer experience; and of course, how can we be green and deliver growth and opportunity.
As I have reiterated a number of times, this will not be easy. However, I’m proud to work in a sector formed of problem solvers and be able to share Carbon Crunch 2024 with you through this report.
Carbon Crunch is not about competition, it is all about us working together to deliver progress. With that in mind, I hope you find this report useful and share it with your colleagues, peers, clients and supply chain so we can work together on finding the solutions that will allow us to deliver on so much more than just net zero.
Richard Risdon, Managing Director UK & Europe, Mott MacDonald
