Dispatches in Decarbonization: Prioritize These Nine Steps to Get Started on Net Zero
This article first appeared in Mahesh Ramanujam’s monthly LinkedIn newsletter, Dispatches in Decarbonization, on October 22, 2024. Subscribe on LinkedIn to receive these updates.
Earlier this month, I attended the Rebuild Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, where I delivered a keynote titled, “Net Zero Now: How to Accelerate the Decarbonization of America’s Heartland Today.” I discussed how expanding decarbonization efforts in the Midwest is not a longshot, but a real opportunity for the green building community to make a tangible difference in the communities they serve.
Mahesh spoke at the Rebuild Conference this month.
A PRESCRIPTION FOR PROGRESS
I am often asked by those getting started on net zero what to prioritize, so I’ll share here the prescriptive measures I recommended at Rebuild, show how they have been successfully implemented at a leading company in India, and how that case study can serve as a model for progress in not just the Midwest, but in regions around the world.
Step 1: Set clear targets for transitioning buildings or portfolios to net zero — ideally aligned with the Paris Agreement’s 2030 goals. And before setting targets, conduct an emissions assessment (I recommend GHG Protocol) so you can set informed targets.
Step 2: Develop a comprehensive plan. If I’m being honest, I’ve yet to see a really good net zero plan for buildings — this is one area GNFZ will help build the business case for as more buildings come into our platform.
Step 3: Invest in innovation. Focus on developing and adopting new climate technologies — including investing in research and development, and scaling up deployment of existing technologies.
Step 4: Focus on enhancing energy efficiency in building operations. Areas to focus on include building envelope, HVAC systems, lighting, water efficiency, landscape, pumps and motors, plug loads, waste management, renewable energy supplementation, and whole building. GNFZ has a guide that lists strategies under each category with case study examples.
Step 5: Engage stakeholders. Collaborating with employees, suppliers, and the community ensures broad support and participation in net zero initiatives.
Step 6: Monitor and report progress to reach net zero. What gets measured gets done, what gets done gets improved, what gets improved gets replicated, and what gets replicated transforms the market.
Step 7: Leverage public-private partnerships. Sharing knowledge, resources, and technologies helps accelerate the transition to net zero.
Step 8: Educate the community. This includes public awareness campaigns, community workshops, partnerships with local organizations, incentive programs, creating volunteer opportunities, implementing transparent communication, youth engagement, and making sure feedback mechanisms are meaningful and easily accessible.
Step 9: Then, you’ll move to emissions mitigation: For Scope 1, explore renewable energy transitions, electrifying fleet vehicles, and operational efficiency changes. For Scope 2, purchase green energy, enhance energy efficiency, and install on or off-site renewable energy. And for Scope 3, engage with suppliers, assess and reduce embodied carbon, promote sustainable transportation practices, implement circular economy principles, and offset any remaining emissions.
THESE STEPS IN ACTION
We worked with Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt. Ltd., one of the world’s largest diamond brands, to implement these steps. At first, they considered offsets, but we helped them identify permanent removal strategies they could implement to accelerate their original 2030 commitment and achieve net zero a full six years ahead of schedule. Check out their case study to learn the specific tactics they leveraged to achieve net zero.
SHARED CHALLENGES ACROSS THE GLOBE
SRK’s accelerated decarbonization story is an incredible example of what’s possible when leaders are committed to improving both employee experience and raising the standard of living in their communities, and also to setting an example for how businesses can contribute to national climate goals.
The stakes and goals of a company like SRK are akin to the goals of the people in the Midwest in the U.S. and in countless regions around the world, and they have remained at the top of mind for everyone involved in the work to decarbonize operations.
Consider that SRK shares the same desire to contribute to a triple bottom line as any business in India. Home to seven million, and a commercial center for textiles, Surat also reminds me of other manufacturing hubs in the Midwest, like Cincinnati. SRK faces the same supply chain frustrations any company in the Midwest has faced, especially those serving international markets. The people of Surat face comparable if not more extreme weather scenarios like the ones that strike the heartland. And the economic struggles and healthcare needs of SRK’s employees and their families are not unlike the needs of Midwest communities.
What SRK did to incrementally accelerate decarbonization is affordable and accessible. I believe it is the blueprint not just for region building in the Midwest, but has transferable practices that can be applied globally.
At the Global Network for Zero we meet people where they are at. That’s what we did with SRK and I believe it’s possible elsewhere. A big part of accelerating decarbonization at scale is understanding that you’ll likely be working with organizations who have already started some version of this work, or who have explored what it means to certify existing or new construction. That’s why incrementalism was so important to us when creating our methodology.
PROSPECTIVE CROSS-SECTOR APPLICATIONS
By taking an incremental approach, some of the Midwest region’s decarbonization projects represent prime opportunities to continue the good work and accelerate Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions elimination in their entirety.
Just look at the Cincinnati Zoo. This is one of my favorite projects from my time at USGBC. The zoo is truly pushing the boundaries of sustainability but also doing phenomenal work across their local community. Mark Fisher, VP of Facilities, Planning and Sustainability, mentioned wanting to ensure the zoo could play a role in renewable energy progress in the local community. For more than a decade, the Zoo itself has had 4.5 MW of on-site solar capacity, resulting in a surplus of electricity production and reduction in utility costs. In addition, they’ve installed four solar arrays totaling 68 kW around the Cincinnati community, with many more to come.
The Zoo is also formalizing The Community Solar Resiliency Program, which is a response to the need for increased resilience in under-resourced communities. By annually supporting the installation of solar PV systems on community centers, schools, and churches, the program aims to reduce emissions and lower utility costs for community organizations. This enables them to redirect savings into mission-critical work, build organizational capacity, and better serve local communities. They have also done additional work including retrofitting LED lights in the surrounding community.
But there isn’t anything embedded in their previous certification process to recognize the efforts they are making in the local community to cut emissions and improve living standards. So they aren’t getting credit for the effort they are making beyond their building. This makes them a great candidate for net zero certification with a holistic process where disparate progressions are connected, rewarded, and laddered toward complete emissions reduction. Given what they’ve already achieved, moving to zero with GNFZ’s certification process would signal that they can — and will — remain community leaders in decarbonization, all while wholeheartedly working to eliminate their own emissions.
The Forest Edge Elementary School in Fitchburg, Wisconsin is another project showing the power of incremental improvements.
After opening in 2020, it became the first net zero energy school in Wisconsin and largest verified Net Zero School Educational building in North America. This school showcases the data from their tracking with interactive monitors that inform the students in real time of the importance of decarbonization and what the mitigation measures are bringing into their everyday lives.
The sustained progress for Forest Edge is attributed to the fact that Forest Edge Elementary leadership believes, “Constant continual improvement is a key part of our culture.”
Ideally, the school district would maintain its ongoing progress, take that next step to net zero certify Forest Edge in its entirety, and scale that transformation to their portfolio of schools across the district. For this, all they would need to do is share the data they already have to assess their emissions and we can even help them gather that data and start this journey.
And lastly, the Method Soap Factory on the South Side of Chicago became the only LEED Platinum factory in the soap industry, and today is certified LEED Zero Waste.
This property sits on 22 acres of land and less than four of those are for the manufacturing facility itself. A former steel manufacturing site, it was deemed a brownfield and Method collaborated with the city in a public-private sector partnership to extract heavy metals from the soil and restore the rest of the prairie land to its natural use. While the company produces renewable energy on its campus, with wind and solar making up about one-third of the plant’s requirements, Method also purchases the rest of the needed renewables from a utility partner. Method also manufactures and fills bottles on site, which cuts the travel from as they say “1,000 miles to 1,000 feet during production.” And on top of the facility is a greenhouse run by Gotham Greens. This has become an annual source of 500 tons of produce that Method and Gotham distribute back into Chicago communities.
With our track record in certifying manufacturing facilities to zero, we would build on the company’s progress in net zero waste and to accelerate them to net zero with Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions eliminated, we would likely begin by working with them on ensuring the other ⅔ of renewable energy is generated on-site.
A CALL FOR ACCELERATION
The state of decarbonization in the Midwest reminds us that shared challenges can yield shared opportunities and collective transformation. But that will require expanding the good work that has already brought change to communities around the world.
As we grow GNFZ’s work, we anticipate the acceleration of targets at a pace we never dreamed possible. People in positions of leadership are making the direct connections between decarbonizing a building’s operations and the quality of life for the people most impacted by its footprint. But we need more!
If you are interested in joining the movement for a decarbonized future — a movement where incorporating everyone’s needs can enable region-building, nation-building, and world-building, message me on LinkedIn or reach out to our team today.