Getting to net zero isn’t some distant dream for corporations anymore. It’s becoming business reality. The question now isn’t whether organisations need a net-zero strategy, but how to actually build one that works. If you’re wondering where to start, or if your current plan is just talk without substance, these five steps will give you a practical roadmap to move from target-setting to real results.
Step 1: Measure Your Carbon Footprint Accurately
Before you can reduce emissions, you need to know what you’re dealing with. This sounds obvious, but most organisations skip over it or do it poorly. Getting your baseline right is critical because everything that follows depends on it.
Start by mapping your emissions across three scopes. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from your operations, like fuel burned in company vehicles or gas used in facilities. Scope 2 is the electricity, steam, and heat you purchase from external sources. Scope 3 is the indirect emissions from your supply chain, product transportation, and end-of-life disposal. For most organisations, Scope 3 represents 70 to 90 percent of total emissions, so don’t underestimate it.
Getting granular about what you measure matters. You’re looking at energy consumption across all buildings, transportation and logistics data, waste streams, purchased materials, and business travel. Document everything consistently using recognised frameworks like the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which provides standardised calculation methods.
This step requires actual data, not guesses. Some organisations use carbon accounting software tools that integrate with procurement systems and utility data. Others start with spreadsheet-based approaches and manual data collection. Either way, the goal is having transparent, auditible information that shows exactly where your emissions come from.
Once you have that baseline, you’ll spot patterns quickly. Maybe 40 percent of your emissions come from purchased goods. Maybe your largest facility uses three times more energy per square metre than your smaller offices. These insights become crucial for targeting efforts where they matter most.
Step 2: Set Science-Based Targets
Having a net-zero goal for 2050 sounds good in corporate statements, but it’s not actionable. What matters is what you’re doing now and in the next five years. Science-based targets force you to align with climate reality. The Science Based Targets initiative provides a framework that ensures your emissions reductions are consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Here’s how it works. Your near-term target should roughly halve emissions before 2030. Your long-term target should eliminate more than 90 percent of emissions by 2050. Only after cutting 90 percent do you account for the final residual emissions through permanent carbon removal.
For many organisations, this translates to something like 40 to 50 percent emissions reduction by 2030 from a 2020 or 2021 baseline. That’s aggressive, but it’s science-based, which means it’s defendable and credible.
Setting these targets publicly matters. It commits you to action and creates accountability. But be honest about what’s achievable with existing technology versus what requires innovation that may not exist yet. A credible net-zero target acknowledges both.
Also consider interim milestones at regular intervals. Waiting until 2030 to check progress is waiting too long. Annual or biennial targets keep momentum and allow you to adjust strategy if you’re falling behind.
Step 3: Develop Decarbonisation Pathways
A target is just a number without a roadmap. Decarbonisation pathways show how you’ll actually get there. This is where strategy becomes concrete.
Start by identifying your emission hotspots. Where do your biggest reductions come from? For a manufacturing business, it might be switching production processes or changing energy sources. For a logistics company, it’s vehicle electrification and route optimisation. For retail, it’s often facilities energy and supply chain improvements.
Evaluate your options using consistent criteria. What’s the emissions reduction potential? What’s the cost? How feasible is it with current technology? What’s the timeline to implementation? Build scenarios showing different combinations of actions and their impact on your overall emissions trajectory.
Many organisations model a minimum pathway showing what they can achieve with proven technologies today. Then they model more ambitious pathways that require innovation or market changes they’re betting on. This approach is honest about uncertainty while still committing to real near-term action.
Your pathways should include specific levers across your value chain. Energy efficiency improvements in buildings. Transition to renewable electricity sources. Fleet electrification. Supplier engagement to reduce their emissions. Product redesign to use less material. Waste reduction and circular economy initiatives. Not every lever applies to every business, but several usually do.
Build your pathways for different scenarios too. What if renewable energy costs drop faster than expected? What if policy changes accelerate or delay your timeline? Stress-testing your pathways against different futures makes them more robust.
Step 4: Identify Your Biggest Opportunity: Scope 3 Emissions
This step trips up most organisations because it requires collaboration outside your direct control. Your supply chain is complex, and your suppliers may not be as far along on their sustainability journey as you are. But the maths is simple: if your supply chain represents 80 percent of your emissions, you can’t hit net zero without engaging suppliers.
Start by identifying which suppliers contribute most to your emissions. Maybe 20 percent of your suppliers account for 80 percent of your Scope 3 emissions. Focus on those first. Engage them in your reduction efforts, share best practices, and establish clear reduction targets together.
For many companies, renewable energy transition represents the biggest opportunity. If your suppliers can switch to renewable electricity or you can collectively invest in renewable energy projects, the emissions impact is enormous. Some organisations offer financial support or help suppliers access renewable energy purchasing programmes. Others require suppliers to set their own science-based targets as a condition of continued business.
You’ll also need accurate data from suppliers. Cloud-based collaboration platforms allow suppliers to report emissions through standardised questionnaires. Start with Tier 1 suppliers, then expand deeper into the supply chain as you develop capability.
Set clear expectations. Define your environmental requirements in procurement policies. Make sustainability part of how you evaluate and select suppliers. Recognise and incentivise suppliers who achieve reductions. Monitor progress regularly and share results back to maintain momentum.
Step 5: Build Implementation Into Business Operations
The difference between net-zero strategies that work and those that sit in desk drawers is execution. Real implementation requires embedding decarbonisation into how your business actually operates.
Start at the top. Your leadership team needs to own this, not relegate it to a sustainability department. Include decarbonisation metrics in executive compensation. Allocate capital specifically for emissions reduction projects. Make sustainability a core part of business strategy, not a separate initiative.
Next, embed it into existing business processes. When you budget for new facilities, consider lifecycle carbon emissions alongside cost and functionality. When you evaluate new suppliers, include sustainability criteria. When you invest in equipment replacement, prioritise lower-emissions options. These become standard decision-making practices, not special considerations.
Create accountability across departments. Individual business units should have targets aligned with overall company goals. Finance should track carbon alongside financial performance. Procurement should manage supplier emissions as part of vendor management. Facilities should optimise building energy use. Logistics should optimise routes and vehicle selection.
Invest in technology and tools that make measurement and progress tracking automatic rather than burdensome. Carbon accounting software that integrates with procurement systems, utility data, and supplier reporting saves enormous time. Real-time dashboards showing progress toward targets keep the organisation focused.
Finally, communicate progress and setbacks regularly. Monthly or quarterly updates to leadership. Annual public reporting on progress toward targets. Transparency builds credibility and keeps internal stakeholders engaged. When people see real progress, momentum builds.
Putting It Together
Net-zero targets only mean something if they’re backed by genuine effort. The organisations getting traction start with honest measurement, set aggressive but achievable targets, develop detailed implementation pathways, engage their supply chains, and most importantly, embed decarbonisation into how they operate.
It’s not complicated in concept, but it requires discipline and real commitment. You’ll face constraints, surprises, and technical limitations along the way. But organisations that actually do this work aren’t waiting for the perfect solution or perfect information. They’re measuring what they have now, setting bold targets, developing realistic pathways, and getting to work. That’s how net zero actually happens.
