With the adoption of the European Climate Act in October 2020, the legal basis for establishing climate neutrality was created at European level. In order to achieve the 2050 climate neutrality target and the EU emissions reduction target of 60 percent by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels), support and recovery programs for larger European economies are increasingly being linked to the European Commission's climate policy objectives. The long-term commitment of all EU member states, which goes far beyond the Corona pandemic and crisis, gives companies a reliable guidance for their strategic alignment and further financial options for growth in the future.

A comprehensive approach to "Real Zero" and convincing in the long term

Making a company climate-neutral ideally involves a comprehensive analysis of potential and evaluation of measures. A comprehensive "zero carbon" project is more costly than offsetting the company's own emissions via certificates, but in the medium and long term it is a prerequisite not only for a credible climate neutrality strategy, but also for the sustainable alignment of the company as a whole. After all, public awareness of environmental protection is not only strong in the younger generation and in movements such as Fridays for Future – investors are also increasingly attaching importance to sustainable business concepts.

Instead of merely paying lip service, measurable and verifiable efforts are required on the part of companies to achieve "real zero" in terms of emissions. Innovative ideas and diverse solutions are already available today that genuinely, that is to say physically, reduce CO2 emissions.

Moreover, it is highly likely that the price of certificates will rise dramatically in the next few years. Therefore, it is advisable to work towards long-term savings in energy costs and emissions, which bring positive earnings effects, a good image and an increase in the value of the company.

How can climate neutrality be achieved in the company?

Steering a company in a new direction as quickly as possible often seems like an almost impossible challenge for managers. Many shy away from the longer planning cycles and investment sums or do not know who should be in charge of the process – because often there is a lack of experience in companies to take climate neutrality into account at all levels.

Service providers like ENGIE have the expertise to accompany the transformation to climate neutrality in terms of processes. This starts with the analysis and planning and extends to the implementation and continuous optimization. With a partner who has a deep knowledge of measures to reduce CO2 emissions, companies can concentrate on their core business and at the same time align themselves towards "real zero".

Using an analysis to discover all emissions

For a company to become climate neutral, the first step is to analyze all emissions. Three dimensions can be considered to determine the carbon footprint that takes into account buildings, plants, and operations.

Scope 1 focuses on the immediate emissions of a company. Scope 2 includes the power and heat supply from external suppliers. The most complete approach is Scope 3, which also takes into account the entire supply chain and the CO2 of the upstream products. Since a company depends on its employees, their commutes and business trips are also included in this carbon footprint calculation. Finding these hidden emissions can hold great potential for the path to climate neutrality.

Climate-neutral companies demonstrate courage to change

The range of measures that can be used to tackle "real zero" is large and complex. Companies should not be deterred by this. First steps like individual projects for climate neutrality can show that it is worth following the overarching strategy. With experts at your side, it is possible to transfer measures into reality in a structured and successful manner and thus achieve goals such as sustainability, climate neutrality and environmental protection. The good thing about partners like ENGIE: Guarantees and contracting solutions enable companies to finance planned investments and operations for years to come.

Expertise and independent advice for climate-neutral corporate strategy

To anchor "Zero Carbon" in a company, ENGIE is on hand with decades of experience in energy management and extensive knowledge in building and plant technology. We provide binding guarantees for the savings that you can achieve through the "real zero". For ENGIE, the ongoing optimization of plants and processes is a matter of the heart. In 2019, ENGIE invested 190 million euros in research and development and has installed a renewable output of three gigawatts every year since 2019.

Read more about climate neutrality, "real zero" and exemplary solutions that ENGIE has implemented for various companies in our white paper!