Most UK businesses are unprepared for
carbon reduction legislation that will be introduced in April
2010.
Only one in three UK organisations are fully prepared for the
Carbon
Reduction Commitment (CRC) legislation, a survey of 200 UK
businesses found.
Some 20% of respondents have not yet started planning or have no
idea what measures they need to take, the Coleman Parkes survey
found.
Although 77% of respondents said the CRC is an opportunity to
improve their carbon footprint, less than half have the necessary
IT systems in place.
Of those that have a system to track their progress and manage
their carbon footprint, 33% are relying on spreadsheets and 12% are
using tools developed internally.
"The research highlights a worryingly low level of preparedness
for the CRC," said Simon Godfrey, sustainability champion at SAP UK
& Ireland, which commissioned the survey.
Clear governance and ownership for the CRC will be essential to
reducing the administrative burden of what will become an annual
requirement, he said.
"At the same time, if organisations want to perform well in the
league tables, they need a comprehensive carbon management system
in place to be able to easily collect, gather and analyse data
pertaining to their carbon emissions," said Godfrey.
Those who do not make plans for managing their exposure will
find themselves facing stiff penalties, said Clive Longbottom,
service director, business process analysis at analyst firm
Quocirca.
"However, those who can plan accordingly and set themselves
achievable and sensible targets will find that they can benefit in
solid financial ways through the future trading of their CRC
credits," he said.
With such little time left before the CRC energy efficiency
scheme becomes mandatory, now is the time to ensure that the
business and IT department work together to ensure an effective
plan is in place, said Longbottom.