Net Zero Pathway – The Right Target for You

In the race to Net Zero, countries, cities, and organizations alike are rushing to set meaningful targets and achieve ambitious goals. However, the quality of the targets and the strategic plan that supports them must be scrutinized to ensure that they are realistic and actionable — not just words on paper.

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How to Achieve Net Zero

Verdis Group is answering the call to accelerate climate action and advancing organizations’ need to navigate this complicated issue by developing the Net Zero Pathway. This three-step process will enable your business to set and achieve your decarbonization ambitions:

Measure

The first step in your Net Zero journey is to account for the emissions that your organization is responsible for. A greenhouse gas inventory should include both direct and indirect emissions, known as Scope 1, 2 and 3 under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

Target

We work with you to identify which strategies can be implemented to reduce your emissions, such as building efficiencies, renewable energies, supplier engagement, and many more. Targeted strategies will provide clarity on how and when emissions reduction can occur and allow your organization to set ambitious targets.

Implement

Our team of experts can work with your organization to facilitate and organize the implementation of the selected strategies, supported by the appropriate tools and processes, to meet your sustainability goals. Learn more about our Implementation services here.

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Here are the six principles that Verdis Group considers key in setting the right targets for your organization:

Ambition

Your target must be in line with climate science as defined by the SBTi.

Timeframe

In addition to long-term goals, interim targets must be set to support immediate action.

Boundary

All meaningful greenhouse gas emissions from the value chain should be accounted for and addressed (Scope 1, 2, and 3).

Transparency

Fully communicating the details of your greenhouse gas inventory and your Net Zero Pathway will ensure that stakeholders trust and buy into your efforts.

Reduction Before Neutralization

The first priority must be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the greatest extent possible, followed by exploring neutralization options such as carbon offsets.

Inclusivity

Recognizing and directly addressing that climate change has a disproportionately negative impact on Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color.

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Sustainable Transportation

We have years of experience in helping our clients implement sustainable transportation programs. We use a data-driven approach to assessing baselines and progress. Our behavior change expertise creates effective programs that allow organizations to start adding active and sustainable transportation solutions to their commuting mix and save millions of dollars in avoided car storage infrastructure costs.

Verdis Group Commuter Survey

Our Commuter Survey has been refined over a decade and used to survey over 15,000 employees at several organizations. It captures the current employee mode split, the associated greenhouse gas emissions, and potential opportunities to shift employee commutes to be more sustainable and better aligned with employees’ desires. We often find a meaningful number of employees who want to actively commute and/or work from home. 

This data is collected through our proprietary survey, which can be run independently or as part of the Sustainability Engagement Survey.

Basic Commuter Survey

1. Employee mode split (% of commuters using a specific commute mode)
2. Commute distance
3. Scope 3 employee commute emissions

Premium Commuter Survey

1. Employee mode split (% of commuters using a specific commute mode) 
2. Commute distance
3. Scope 3 employee commute emissions

Plus

1. Employees’ desired commute modes 
2. Barriers currently preventing employees from actively commuting 
3. Potential future employee mode split based on programmatic changes 
4. Broad recommendations for programs to increase the number of employees who actively commute

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) 

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is the practice of understanding how people make decisions about their transportation. It encourages people to use active modes of transportation, such as walking, busing, biking, ridesharing and even telecommuting– and gives them the resources to do so easily. TDM strategies can save individuals thousands of dollars by avoiding the costs of automobile fuel, maintenance, insurance and parking; and they can save organizations millions of dollars in avoiding the costs of building parking infrastructure.

Active commuting has significant health benefits as well: it maintains cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps prevent diabetes, reduces obesity and cancer risks– all of which correlate with greater happiness and psychological well-being. Employees value employers that support transportation choice. And of course, active commuting helps to reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases.

Survey & Baseline Report

The first step to an active transportation commuting program is to conduct the Commuter Survey to discover how employees commute and identify opportunities. The survey will reveal the mode split and employee’s current versus potential commuting modes.

Barriers & Opportunities

We determine what real and perceived barriers prevent employees from using active modes and what opportunities could help them make the shift.

Strategies

We identify the best strategies for an organization to realize the potential mode shift to active commuting.

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Decarbonization Services

We offer our expertise and advising on the following decarbonization strategies: 

• Sustainable Purchasing
• Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (vPPAs)
• Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)
• Carbon Offsets

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Let’s talk!

Verdis Group’s Net Zero Pathway supplies your organization with the necessary expertise and tools to accelerate decarbonization efforts and set yourself apart as a climate leader. Reach out today to start your journey with us.