Achieving net zero carbon emissions is essential to fighting climate change.
Countries around the world have come together to establish regulations that are designed to reduce carbon emissions. However, it’s important to implement changes throughout the defence sector as well.
These changes will help encourage companies to adopt a more sustainable business model. The United Kingdom has announced plans to make net zero a requirement, further incentivising businesses to evolve. It’s important to understand this if you’re thinking about bidding for defence contracts in the near future.
Want to learn more about net zero carbon emissions? Here’s a complete guide to what net zero means and how it will impact the defence sector.
Net Zero Carbon Emissions
Climate change is driven primarily by carbon emissions. These emissions are primarily the fault of human activity and innovation. If you think about any industry, it’s very likely that they have contributed to carbon emissions in some way or another.
Almost everything we rely on today emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. While the most obvious cause of carbon emissions may be cars on the road, factories and industrial plants are often the biggest emitters. These emissions often go unnoticed by society since the plants are so far away.
Another important factor to note is the current logistics model that the world uses. This logistics model consists of massive warehouses that house products. When products are needed, they are put on trucks or planes to be delivered around the world.
The rise of the internet and online deliveries only made this model more dangerous for the environment. This is because you can just order milk online and have a truck deliver it instead of walking to the store. This is responsible for a massive increase in carbon emissions around the world.
Sustainable Practises
Sustainability is an important aspect of modern business that everyone should take into consideration. This emphasises the need for consumers to be more conscious of the products they buy, and how they buy them. Single-use plastics and other products that rely on fossil fuels all contribute to carbon emissions.
Even if you think that it’s the factory’s fault for emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the buying power originates from the consumer. This is why it’s our collective responsibility to empower sustainable practices, brands, and businesses.
What Does Net Zero Mean?
One of the major initiatives to decrease carbon emissions is to achieve net zero. This is a term given that indicates a net zero effect on our carbon footprint. In simple terms, this means that we are not adding to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Instead, we are emitting the same amount of carbon dioxide that we are also removing from the atmosphere. This is the first step to help control the effects of climate change.
Why Is Net Zero Important?
Climate change has the potential to impact every area of our lives. When you take a closer look at the data, global average temperatures are expected to rise between 1 and 2 degrees. While many may think that this is not a big deal, it’s enough of a difference to cause havoc around the world.
Climate change has been linked to an increase in unpredictable weather conditions, uncontrollable wildfires and hurricanes, and impact on our ability to grow food. This is because some plants require specific temperature conditions to grow.
While this is all happening, you will also notice that the hot months are getting hotter and the cold months are getting colder. This is something that scientists warn could get worse. If people are not prepared, this could lead to weather-induced injuries around the world.
MOD Net Zero Requirements
The United Kingdom understands the importance of achieving net zero carbon emissions and is prioritising it in every way that it can. This includes making it a requirement for future MOD contracts.
This means that in addition to the many requirements, companies must abide by, they should also support the broader climate policy of the United Kingdom. While it’s not clear exactly what consequences companies will face if they don’t comply, it’s abundantly clear that sustainable companies will have a significant edge.
What Does Net Zero Mean for Defence Contracts?
As mentioned above, the United Kingdom is committed to achieving net zero in all its operations by the year 2050. This means that if you’re a company that is applying for defence contracts, you need to make sure that you abide by the climate regulations as well.
Collaborating with the MOD
The best way to make sure that your company is compliant is to collaborate directly with the MOD. Working with collaborative platforms like the DCI is a great way to move forward. This will help you spot where you can improve and make the necessary changes to win defence contracts in the future.
Achieving Net Zero by 2050
We are already experiencing some of the effects of climate change today. While this is due to inaction in the past, we have the opportunity to make major changes to protect the planet in the future. This is why achieving net zero carbon emissions is so important for companies across all sectors and industries.
If you’re in the defence industry and want to learn more about the MOD’s net zero regulations, DCI is here to help. You can use the DCI’s platform to collaborate with the MOD on a sustainable way forward. Click here for more information.
