The UN High-Level Climate Champions, Nigel Topping and Gonzalo Munoz, have approved Planet Mark’s partnership with the UN-backed Race to Zero global campaign, making it the only sustainability certification advisory services company to achieve partner status so far.
Race to Zero is the UN-backed global campaign rallying non-state actors – including companies, cities, regions, financial, educational, and healthcare institutions – to take rigorous and immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030 and deliver a healthier, fairer zero carbon world in time. The partnership reinforces Planet Mark’s commitment to the campaign’s overarching goal of halving emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions as soon as possible.
Nigel Topping, UN High Level Climate Champion for COP26, says, “We are delighted to have Planet Mark join as the latest partner of Race to Zero, working closely to support businesses of all sizes to set credible plans to reach rigorous net zero targets. By providing tangible, concrete actions to reach net zero, Planet Mark is accelerating our collective efforts to deliver a healthier, fairer zero-carbon world in time.”
Andrew Griffiths, director of Community and Partnership at Planet Mark, comments, “We are delighted to be an official partner of the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign, the world’s largest coalition of organisations committed to reducing their carbon emissions across all scopes in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. This places Planet Mark alongside an exclusive group of less than ten organisations to have been made official partners for supporting businesses. Our pledge is to amplify the critical message to businesses that the climate crisis requires urgent action. Collectively, we need to do more, and by joining us on the net zero journey we are committed to supporting businesses in realising their plans and ambitions to take them over the finishing line, going beyond making the pledge.”
He adds, “As a partner, any organisation that pledges a net zero carbon target with Planet Mark automatically joins the Race to Zero and is allowed to make use of assets and resources associated with the campaign to inspire others to join. We hope businesses across the UK will join us in setting ambitious net zero carbon targets for their company and join the rapidly growing community of thousands of organisations committed to creating a brighter future for all.”
All members of Race to Zero are committed to the same overarching goal: reducing emissions across all scopes swiftly and fairly in line with the Paris Agreement, with transparent action plans and robust near-term targets. This is guided by a set of procedural criteria known as the Four Ps: Pledge, Plan, Proceed, Publish, https://racetozero.unfccc.int/join-the-race/, aimed at galvanising participants on their net zero journey.
Aligning with the campaign, Planet Mark’s digital and physical Zero Carbon Tour is designed to reinforce the Four Ps by highlighting how businesses can set their own credible net zero carbon targets in line with Race to Zero’s rigorous minimum criteria and implement plans to achieve them. Planet Mark’s commitment is to support companies by enabling them to make year on year carbon reductions and support them in reaching net zero targets through their suit of net zero advisory services, while unlocking huge business benefits in the process, from increased efficiencies and reduced costs to attracting and retaining the best talent.
The tour website, www.zerocarbontour.com, incorporates a pledge wall, where businesses can sign up and display their commitments to reaching zero carbon emissions from which Planet Mark will continuously update the Race to Zero team with the net zero signatories. As the tour progresses, stories and case studies of the organisations involved in the inclusive Zero Carbon Tour events will be displayed on the website, building up a collection of achievements from across the business community.
The partner organisations and associations for the Zero Carbon Tour include Institute of Directors (IoD), Business in the Community, CHAS, Eden Project, Fully Charged (media partners), Prologis, The Royal Warrant Holders Association, Octopus Energy, HTA, Heart of the City in partnership with the City of London Corporation, Global (media and digital member), Meaningful Business, Business Declares, Garden Centre Association, Westway Coaches, Arrival and COBIS.
Planet Mark was founded in 2013 by Steve Malkin in conjunction with the Eden Project based on the positioning that a connection with nature can enable all people to contribute to a thriving planet. The resulting people-driven sustainability programme, based on its three-step process: Measure, Engage, Communicate, designed for any business of any size, in any sector, no matter where they are in the world, has continued to develop and grow, certifying over 800 organisations and doubling in size over the past year. It aims to increase its current active membership from around 200 to 1,000 and to grow its organisation by a further 50 per cent in the next year. The goal is to empower like-minded individuals to halt the climate crisis and improve society in everything they do.
Planet Mark provides a suite of Net Zero advisory services including:
Planet Mark Net Zero Programme
Available to Planet Mark members, this programme offers business leaders the tools and knowledge to create a credible net zero carbon action plan that is reviewed by its certification team. This is followed up with annual workshops to discuss progress against the action plan encouraging continuous improvements.
ZeroBy30: Planet Mark’s ambitious programme to achieve net zero carbon by 2030
The ZeroBy30 programme goes beyond Planet Mark certification targets. It sets absolute reduction goals to reach net zero carbon by 2030 through a transformational action plan. Businesses will be able to reduce their scope 1 and 2 direct emissions to zero carbon, and scope 3 indirect emissions to as close to zero as possible and then offset the remaining carbon to exceptional schemes.
Net Zero Essentials Workshop
This free three-hour workshop is designed to help businesses feel confident in their first steps towards a net zero commitment. As well as introducing the concept of net zero, the workshop showcases why it is an urgent business priority.
