We’re introducing the public launch of our new Planetly Community - a place for exchange, help and tips when becoming a net-zero expert. Here are some reasons why you should join.

Net-zero, carbon neutral, climate positive - these terms are buzzing all around us at the moment with a growing number of cities, countries, and businesses making climate pledges to reduce their carbon emissions. It almost seems as if there’s no company left that hasn’t yet made a “net-zero by xxx” claim to some extent. 

Did you know that more than half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture? Consumer attitudes are changing: In a world with rising health awareness among consumers and the growing importance of environmental protection and ethics, including the treatment of animals, there is a huge potential for brands to innovate the food and beverage market and become a front-runner as a sustainable food and beverage (F&B) business. With approximately 17.3 billion metric tonnes of CO2, the F&B industry is responsible for a third of global emissions, which is almost 19 times more than the amount stemming from the aviation industry. Moreover, with global population growth, there is a 60% increase in food demand projected by 2050, which is putting additional pressure on the industry to reduce emissions. 

The manufacturing industry is one of the main drivers of carbon emissions worldwide, with direct emissions (5.2%) and indirect energy emissions (24.2%) accounting for almost one-third of global emissions. Given the considerable market size of the industry in major countries, like the US ($7,958,200m), Germany ($3,053,689m), and Switzerland ($365,591m) and the amount of emitted emissions, the need for an industry decarbonisation becomes evident.

Plenty of industries have to step up their ESG reporting and disclose data regarding Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria. But ESG puts especially tech companies in the spotlight for weaknesses and opportunities to capitalise on their industry advantage.While tech companies are increasingly aware of ESG related issues and the topic has rightfully claimed its spot in boardrooms, actual ESG performance is mostly inconsistent. In many companies, there is still a big gap between ambitious commitments and concrete action.

With the increasing importance of sustainability on a global scale, there has also been a rise in interest in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)-related topics. Financial markets and services play a significant part in the shift to a more sustainable future. But it is not only financial services firms that are increasingly looking to incorporate ESG factors into their services, products and operations, there is also a growing number of investors that want their investments to have an environmental or social impact. While sustainable investments have constantly been growing over the past years, they have set record highs in 2021, rising to almost $120 billion in new investments.