Why Net Zero Needs to Be Built In, Not Bolted On

After 36 years working in commercial, operational, transformation, consulting and leadership roles I'm pivoting into Climate-Integrated Business Transformation and Net Zero Change - here's why.

Climate change is one of the most urgent challenges of our time and I believe businesses have a critical role to play. Making a real difference requires more than published targets and ambition, it requires change... but change is hard. The scale of change required by businesses to achieve net zero by 2050 is complicated, costly and disruptive - positive climate impact at pace will not be achieved without businesses playing their part.

When it comes to net zero business leaders aren’t short of ambition or awareness, it’s not that they don’t care about climate the risks and need to reduce emissions, the challenge isn’t intent - it’s execution. In a world shaped by economic volatility, shifting technologies, and complex global supply chains, leaders are under pressure to deliver performance today while navigating an uncertain tomorrow. Climate goals like net zero often sit outside core strategy, disconnected from how decisions are made, how resources are allocated, and how progress is measured.

That separation is holding businesses back.

Too often, sustainability and net zero are treated as side projects or compliance exercises. But the same actions that cut emissions - smarter operations, cleaner supply chains, more efficient systems, also drive agility, resilience, and long-term value. The opportunity isn’t just environmental, it’s strategic. 

To unlock it, we need to evolve how planning gets done. Net zero won’t be delivered through siloed teams or one-off initiatives, it must be integrated into strategic, commercial, and operational plans - with the same discipline and governance applied to other transformation efforts. That means linking climate action to cost drivers, value and ROI, embedding it in business-as-usual processes, and ensuring it's backed by leadership, clear priorities, and meaningful metrics.

The next decade will separate those who tick boxes from those who transform. The businesses that thrive will be those that align purpose, strategy, and execution  making climate action not an add-on, but a core driver of growth, resilience, and value.

So, over the next 12 months I'll be researching the business challenges which act as barriers to the integration of net zero and climate considerations into the transformation agenda, and also building deep expertise on net zero transition plans - what's working, what innovative approaches are being adopted, and how do we diagnose whether a transition plan really is credible and that an organisation is set up to successfully implement it.