Nine in ten UK businesses have called for greater support from the government to help meet net zero goals, new research has shown.

Findings from BSI has found 96% of organisations need support to meet decarbonisation targets, with half citing cost as a barrier.

Ahead of the general election, businesses recognised that organisations and industries have a responsibility to help the country achieve net zero, but that they will need greater government support to do so, such as financial incentives.

Political uncertainty is a concern for many organisations, with 38% claiming their ability to decarbonise has been hampered by uncertainty over the government’s green commitments.
Over nine in ten businesses want political parties to show a strong commitment to meeting net zero goals pre-election, via a series of targeted policy measures.

The findings come as part of the BSI’s fourth annual net zero barometer, which is drawn from a survey of 1,000 senior decision makers from UK businesses of all sizes.

Despite 83% of respondents showing commitment to achieving the UK’s net zero emissions target, 92% have said barriers remain in place.

A fifth of organisations remain hesitant that they will be able to commit to achieving net zero by 2050 and 28% say their organisation will be taking no action in the next 12 months.

For one in two (48%) UK businesses, reducing costs was the key incentive; an increase on the two-fifths who suggested this last year, suggesting a growing understanding of the economic impact of sustainability measures.

Nearly one in four saw a key benefit as increasing business preparedness for new government policies after the next election.

“We need to go further, and faster,” BSI director general, Scott Steedman said.

“Non-financial reporting will soon force businesses that don’t show leadership in their supply chains to become followers. From government, now is the moment for a clear policy environment that encourages organizations to invest and innovate towards net zero.”

“We have made great progress in the last 12 months in aligning international standards with the net zero transition and disclosure requirements and we now have the opportunity to press ahead to scale up the implementation of best practices for decarbonization across all sectors.”

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