Net Zero

Bawn Textiles aims to embed sustainability in every aspect of the way we do business (see our manifesto commitments here). In April 2024, Bawn took the next step in addressing the environmental impact of our operations by pledging to become a net zero business by 2050.

WHAT IS NET ZERO? WHY DOES IT MATTER? 

Net zero refers to a future state where all global greenhouse gas emissions are dramatically reduced, leaving only a residual amount which can be safely absorbed and stored by nature and carbon removal measures. In this scenario, emissions production and removal are brought into balance, resulting in ‘net zero’ emissions. To keep the world within liveable temperatures and avoid some of the worst outcomes of a climate catastrophe, scientists argue that we need to reach this state of global net zero by 2050, beginning by reducing global emissions by 45% by 2030.

HOW DOES A BUSINESS BECOME NET ZERO?

All businesses, big or small, have greenhouse gas emissions associated with their activities. To play their part in achieving global net zero, businesses can calculate their emissions and work to reduce them in line with the science-based targets set for 2030 and 2050. This can be a complicated process. How do you decide which emissions in the supply chain you are responsible for? And how do you tackle the emissions that seem out of your control? International standards currently split emissions into three categories, or ‘scopes’:

Scope 1: Direct emissions from business-owned resources and activities (e.g. burning fuel on site or in company cars)

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased energy (e.g. electricity)

Scope 3: All other indirect emissions connected to the business through its value
chain (from purchased goods and services, to product end-of-life, and more)

Businesses who pledge to achieve net zero must declare their Scopes 1 and 2 emissions. While reporting on Scope 3 is also encouraged, it can be voluntary, especially for small businesses that may struggle to address such a huge category.

BAWN'S NET ZERO JOURNEY

In 2024, Bawn Textiles was a participant in the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce’s Step Up to Net Zero programme. Over the course of six months, the business reviewed and developed its practices to greater reflect the principles of circularity, net zero and material efficiency (read Bawn’s Circular Glasgow story here).
In April 2024, Bawn signed up to the SME Climate Commitment, part of the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign. In doing so, Bawn pledged to:

1. Halve its greenhouse gas emissions before 2030
2. Achieve net zero emissions before 2050
3. Share progress annually

To uphold its pledge, Bawn has since established a decarbonisation plan with a focus on significantly reducing its Scopes 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. As a microbusiness, Bawn faces a number of challenges to addressing its wider Scope 3 emissions; however, Scope 3 reductions will still be sought wherever possible, beginning with waste reduction and supplier engagement activities.

Bawn is committed to reporting transparently on our progress year on year. Annual updates will be formally available via the SME Climate Hub, as well as shared with our customers via our social media. 

 

CARBON NEUTRAL VS NET ZERO

The terms “carbon neutral” and “net zero” both refer to the balance of a business’s emitted greenhouse gasses with avoided or removed emissions. The key difference between the two hinges on the sticky issue known as offsetting.

Carbon neutral companies calculate their carbon footprint and then offset the equivalent quantity of their emissions, for example, by paying a third party to plant trees; however, they may still be carrying on business as normal, without making any significant commitment to directly reducing the overall quantity of their emissions.

By contrast, a company that is following a net zero journey aims to actively reduce at least 90% of its emissions, with only the remaining 10% removed through offsets. In other words, net zero requires a commitment to make changes to a business’s way of operating – whether on efficiency, renewables, or other areas – that will actively lessen its overall emissions.

For this reason, although carbon neutrality can be an important first step, Bawn is choosing to prioritise a net zero approach.