Assessment involves identifying essential stakeholders and datasets, the tools available to measure and gather information, and the potential returns in compliance, certification, and cost saving. The key actions the Mitie team will undertake are described below:

Define the Plan Zero Stakeholder Group

It’s important to assemble a Plan Zero stakeholder group with a varied skillset and a combined remit that takes into account procurement, facilities, operations, logistics, human resources, and production (where applicable). The Plan Zero stakeholder group will galvanise internal teams, communicate effectively, and seize the opportunity to execute practical carbon reduction measures that create a responsible, visionary and cost-effective organisation.

Map Influencers and data sources

Carbon impact is affected by several operational aspects. We call these Influencers. Different organisations will have different Influencers. The stakeholder group will identify the Influencers and the associated expertise and data sources that will help determine the potential for carbon reduction across Scope 1, 2 and 3.

Where data does not exist for a given Influencer, it will be flagged as a gap, to prompt the stakeholder group to define a process or system to provide the information required to ensure tangible measurement criteria.

To understand how far a Plan Zero undertaking can elevate an organisation beyond its competitors and peers, it is important to baseline sustainability and carbon reduction performance against similar organisations – and against industry leaders. Doing so creates a useful frame of reference upon which to base targets and create a comprehensive strategy to meet them.

Baselining

By extrapolating the data identified during the Assessment stage of the Plan Zero process and leveraging Mitie’s vast operational experience of organisations in every sector of the UK, the Plan Zero team will baseline sustainability performance and provide an accurate indication of how an organisation performs against its peers, and industry best-practice leaders. The organisation will be ranked from laggard to leader, with detailed projections made against key Influencers to chart the rate of decarbonisation .

Target Setting

Equipped with benchmarking data and a clear picture of areas requiring special attention, the stakeholder team will move on to setting targets. These may be organisation-specific, such as Mitie’s own accelerated program to reach Net Zero by 2025, and they may be Science-Based

If Science Based Targets (SBTs) are relevant and applicable, the Plan Zero stakeholder group will engage different functions of an organisation to gain the collective buy-in necessary to (a) agree the appropriate approach and, (b) sign a commitment letter which indicates a pledge to set the SBTs.

Create a strategy

No two organisations are the same, so it is vital to account for operational nuances that can have a distinct influence on carbon production. An effective strategy will address each and every target and detail a policy to mitigate accordingly.

The Mitie Plan Zero team has profound knowledge of the myriad of regulations and certifications that not only ensure an organisation is compliant, but categorically ahead of competitors and peers.  It will carry out a comprehensive compliance review, charting an organisation’s status and readiness to comply with both mandatory and recommended certificates.

Integrated carbon reporting and certification

To help organisations gauge and understand the various carbon-producing aspects of their operations and their associated bearing on mandatory and recommended reporting and certification, Mitie uses its unique Carbon and Energy Management System (CEMS).

Based on the operating procedures of both the ISO50001 Energy Management Standard and the Carbon Trust Standard, CEMS provides a pathway to achieve either of these accreditations (following third party verifications) or use the platform as a guide to integrate into existing management systems.

With access to CEMS, customers record and store data to support carbon and energy reporting requirements and draw upon the expertise of Mitie’s Plan Zero team to build an extended compliance and certification programme at both site and corporate levels, that ensures compliance, whilst reducing the associated costs.

Armed with benchmarking information, clear targets, compliance and certification goals and detailed strategies to achieve them, the Plan Zero team will develop a clear, fully costed implementation plan. Doing so requires buy-in from the entire organisation and the sponsorship and support of C-level stakeholders, as the plan will outline detailed cross-organisational measures to achieve targets.

Implementation

The implementation plan will address each of the three Focus Areas (Infrastructure, Resources and Emissions), and specify the associated savings, emissions reductions and any related Capital Expenditure (CapEx).

Of course, not all recommended measures will require CapEx, with some simply being procedural adjustments or best practice, but for those that do need asset or infrastructure investment to unlock savings and reduce emissions, Mitie provides a solution to deliver zero carbon for zero cost.

Zero carbon for zero cost

Investment in zero carbon is investment in a sustainable, responsible future; It creates a platform upon which organisations can build and grow efficient, environmentally aware operations that secure preferential finance and tax relief, and attract motivated, customers and employees.

But when the present is uncertain, investment in the future becomes a challenge. For this reason, Mitie has formulated a programme that ensures organisations can achieve a zero carbon future without the downsides associated with Capital Expenditure, but with all the upside of increased efficiency and offset savings. In other words, Zero carbon for zero cost.

Following assessment, baselining and compliance checks, our Plan Zero team will compile a detailed report with optimisation and asset replacement and upgrade recommendations. The report will cover Infrastructure, Resources and Emissions, and will gauge the suitability of an organisation to leverage Zero carbon for zero cost.

 The speed at which CapEx will be negated (and possibly become cost negative) will be assessed, and a proposal submitted. Mitie will organise capital and execute and manage an organisations transition to zero carbon. The customer pays a simple regular fee.

The culmination of the Plan Zero team’s proven expertise in significantly reducing carbon production and energy consumption, Zero carbon for zero cost is a truly game-changing means of securing a zero carbon in the future.

Contact the Plan Zero team to find out more.

Mitie manages the facilities, assets and buildings through which over 5 million people pass every single day. The company has profound, hands-on knowledge and experience of optimising facilities on behalf of customers in every industry the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland.

Having saved over 300,000 Tonnes of carbon and delivered over £20m in savings for our customers in 2020 alone, Mitie is setting and delivering against ambitious sustainability targets on behalf of customers in both the private and public sectors; Our knowledge of our customers’ estates, combined with our ability to execute a strategy from assessment right through to delivery is we believe, unrivalled.

An example of Plan Zero in action from Assessment right through to Execution is at a multinational telecommunications company.

Our case study tells the story.