Quantifying your net zero strategy: a balancing act between decarbonization risk and opportunity

As organizations outline their ambitions for net-zero targets, they must consider the associated risks and opportunities of decarbonization. In order to develop a truly robust, viable strategy, there are a number of key questions to address, including:

• When does the company aim to achieve net-zero emissions by and are there interim targets?
• What are the main sources of emissions that need to be targeted?
• What emissions-reduction initiatives are currently available, how much do they cost, and how long will they take to implement?
• What impact will these initiatives have on the wider business?

With the help of an illustrative case study, our report demonstrates how using a quantitative approach early on can help companies achieve greater clarity of the cost-benefit of different decarbonization strategies, alongside views on return on investment and understanding of strategic decision support tools. To do so, we cover the five steps organizations will typically need to undertake on the path to building their net-zero plans:

1. Quantify baseline risk
2. Set goals and targets
3. Quantify bottom-up strategies
4. Optimize the cost-benefit roadmap
5. Implement, monitor and report