Solution brings practical and free guidance, built by experts and endorsed by large companies, for each step of decarbonization journeys
Brazilian companies will gain an important resource in the implementation of climate actions: the CEBDS (Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development) will launch, during COP28, in Dubai, Passo a Passo Net Zero. The initiative offers complete and free guidance to support companies in the transition to a low-carbon economy. The launch is part of the CEBDS Platform Net Zero program, launched at the last COP, last year, in Egypt.
Developed in partnership with the WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development), the guide tool includes a self-diagnosis of climate maturity, step-by-step guidance for decarbonization stages and even cost estimates for the initiatives. It was developed in collaboration with more than 40 global companies, the University of Oxford and consultancies BCG and McKinsey. By 2030, more than 50,000 companies are expected to use the solution, covering around 30% of global emissions.
Currently, in addition to guidance for each step of reducing emissions – how to measure and verify emissions, how to set climate goals, how to select and implement reduction actions, etc. -, the guide also includes a library with almost 100 examples of decarbonization actions and case studies, from Brazilian and global companies, covering various sectors. These capabilities enable companies to accelerate internal climate learning and support companies across their value chain with information to drive important decarbonization initiatives.
Large companies have the resources to invest in personalized programs for their decarbonization process, but they encounter difficulties when they need to engage their external suppliers (scope 3), that is, in smaller companies, where the majority of emissions are concentrated. In addition to the financial issue, it is necessary to raise awareness and level climate knowledge among companies, in addition to highlighting the need for prioritization in line with other areas of the business, since in smaller companies financial survival can be a challenge that takes up the entire leadership agenda, leaving little space for climate discussion.
In addition to this space focused on training and implementing actions by companies, the Net Zero Platform program will also make the Climate Policy Hub available to the general public. This is a space where the CEBDS team will share the main topics of the business sector, updates and news regarding climate policy in the country.
The recent study “Challenges of the Brazilian Business Sector in the Net Zero Journey”, published by CEBDS in partnership with the consultancy BCG and which included the participation of more than 50 giants of the national economy, showed that 92% of the interviewees say they have the motivation to get involved in a low carbon operation. Of the total study participants, 79% have a clear strategy for reducing emissions, and 71% are already implementing decarbonization actions on a scale. Among the main difficulties, the research highlights regulatory uncertainties, for 64%, supplier engagement, for 49%; and absence of sectoral references, for 38%. The Net Zero Platform program appears in this scenario as an important initiative to resolve these obstacles.
“For these small and medium-sized companies, Passo a Passo Net Zero is a fundamental tool, as it offers everything they need to pave the way towards decarbonization. It is a very useful solution, above all, to guide small and medium-sized companies, because it brings together the main knowledge bases, as well as practical applications and calculations, being able to alleviate this engagement challenge”, comments Viviane Romeiro, director of Climate, Energy and CEBDS Sustainable Finance.
The Net Zero Platform and Passo a Passo can be accessed free of charge by any company or individual at the address www.plataformanetzero.com.br.
