‘Collaboration is key to getting sustainability plans off the ground’

In the UK, we have never been more aware of the global impact of climate change and our role in stabilising it.

Last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its latest report and presented a sobering reminder of the global challenges we face. It also laid out what needs to be done to mitigate the damage and reach the essential target of net-zero emissions.

Bristol City Council was the first local authority in the UK to declare a climate emergency and is taking great strides in making full use of the city’s resources to reduce its carbon footprint.

The installation of a microgrid at the new Water Lilies development in Lawrence Weston is a great example of the shape of things to come, and local generation of this kind should be further encouraged, especially on new developments.

In addition, a hydro scheme at Netham Weir has been approved for development and will generate enough renewable electricity to power more than 250 homes. Bristol City Council has been leading by example in its efforts to reduce emissions from public buildings through the rollout of rooftop solar PV and its central government-funded Heat Network Investment Project.

Today Bristol launched it’s first ever One City Plan describing how we will create a fair, healthy and sustainable city from now until 2050 https://t.co/xtSO59VZzP pic.twitter.com/BZDzR8NVwM

— Bristol City Council (@BristolCouncil) January 11, 2019

Yet despite good progress in the region, research by the British Chambers of Commerce and O2 amongst more than 1,000 UK businesses, found that nearly 90% are not measuring their carbon footprint. This figure worsened for smaller businesses, with a lack of understanding and inability to access funding blamed for the poor results.

While efforts are being made – many businesses are taking action to cut waste and reduce paper consumption, for example – often this is being done to cut costs following a challenging year rather than as part of a wider sustainability plan.

It’s understandable that sustainability may have taken a back seat for businesses that took a double blow due to the pandemic and Brexit, but now is the time to drive change. Bristol, named the UK’s first European Green Capital in 2015 and home to many innovative and forward-thinking organisations, is the perfect place to kickstart the sustainable revolution.

Bristol was the European Green Capital in 2015.

Setting your organisation on its path to net-zero needn’t be difficult. Protecting our planet is rightly a front and centre objective, with governments, public and private sector organisations committing to a future with net-zero carbon emissions.

However, such important goals are unlikely to be achieved in isolation, so organisations and individuals across the UK must commit to working together to drive key sustainability goals forward.

For example, TLT has set an ambitious target to become a net-zero emissions organisation by 2025 and has partnered with Carbon Intelligence, a leading advisory firm on sustainability and climate change issues and strategy, to support the development of our sustainability programme.

We are also working with Forest Green Rovers, the world’s greenest football club, to offer pro bono support to the FGR community and fellow partners in relation to driving towards common sustainability goals in business, in the community and at home. In Bristol, we have joined fellow climate change pioneers in supporting Action Net Zero to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles in Bristol.

Maria Connolly is head of clean energy and real estate and executive board member responsible for sustainability at UK law firm TLT.

We are also collaborating with other lawyers as part of The Chancery Lane Project to create a playbook of climate-friendly contract clauses that businesses can use across different sectors. For example, there’s a late payment clause requiring interest on any overdue sums to be made either to a green cause or a carbon offset provider, and a clause requiring circular economy principles in leasing arrangements for repairs and alterations, to encourage the re-use of goods and materials.

It’s clear that it will take a collaborative effort to reduce the overall carbon footprint of businesses in the UK. Working together through the formation of strategic partnerships will be crucial, and there are many organisations and individuals willing to share their experiences and knowledge to help reduce environmental impacts and create long-term sustainability plans.

Maria Connolly is head of clean energy and real estate and executive board member responsible for sustainability at UK law firm TLT

To hear more about Bristol’s journey towards becoming net-zero, you can sign up to our Bristol24/7 Presents event: How Bristol can become the first net-zero city. Maria will be on the panel alongside experts from Future Leap, Global Goals Centre, and Black and Green ambassadors.

Main photo: Phil Riley

Read more: How Bristol can become the first net-zero city: meet our expert panellists