Plotting a path to Net Zero for an international insurance company
Our customer, an international insurance company, sought the guidance of our Plan Zero team to undertake a detailed assessment of their readiness to achieve Net Zero carbon in as short a timeframe as practically possible.
Background
Our customer, an international insurance company, sought the guidance of our Plan Zero team to undertake a detailed assessment of their readiness to achieve Net Zero carbon in as short a timeframe as practically possible.
The assessment, which forms the initial stage of our Plan Zero A to E process, is a critical part of the Plan Zero journey as it influences every step of the process to follow.
Even at this early stage, considerable effort and expertise are applied to ensure Mitie implements a roadmap for Plan Zero that is absolutely bespoke for the organisation concerned. Our approach to assessing an award-winning insurance company provides an ideal example of how Mitie establishes a route towards Net Zero carbon and improved sustainability.
Plan Zero: Assessment
The Plan Zero assessment begins with a general audit of the partner organisation, which gives our experts a broad sense of performance in sustainability and also financially. For the insurance company, Mitie referred to all publicly available information, including the organisation’s annual report, sustainability reports, website and press coverage
The firm’s achievements in sustainability were subsequently benchmarked against peers in the insurance industry, which showed that while they were making progress, they were lagging behind competitors. Mitie also identified stakeholders within the firm who could steer internal teams and play a crucial role in the delivery of Plan Zero ambitions.
As a result of the assessment, Mitie identified a number of key carbon-reducing recommendations.
Recommendations
- As Scope 1 gas consumption boilers were identified within the estate, we suggested replacing them with more sustainable ground source or air source heat pumps over a ten year period. The move to renewable energy would assist with the client’s target to reach net zero carbon.
- Renewable energy was already being procured for some client sites, but we identified that this could be further improved by moving to renewable sources for Scope 2 emissions. In doing so, the organisation would reach net zero carbon by 2030 for both Scope 1 and 2 direct emissions.
- An additional assessment was made of the client’s Scope 3 travel emissions. This revealed that in the past year their fleet was seeing increased numbers of hybrid cars replacing diesel models. Similarly, there was a marked decrease in rail and air travel linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, which had already prompted the company to implement a target to reduce business travel by 50% by 2021, from a 2019 baseline.
Results
Having completed the assessment, Mitie hosted a client workshop for senior colleagues to show that by implementing a range of changes, reaching an ambitious target of net zero carbon by 2030 was achievable. This would be 20 years ahead of the UK Government’s own target of 2050.
Ultimately the assessment and corresponding proposal were well received and prompted our customer to move on to the next stage of our strategy to ensure they reap the benefits of Plan Zero, to go further, faster.
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