This morning's news, with the UK’s Energy Secretary Ed Miliband publicly defending and reinforcing the UK's 2050 Net Zero target, serves as a powerful anchor for our final article in this series. Despite ongoing political debates, the long-term direction of travel for British industry is clear: building a credible decarbonisation strategy is not a "what if," but a "how, and how soon?"

Over the last three weeks, we've mapped out the 'how'. We started by decoding the language of Scopes 1, 2, and 3. We then moved on to practical strategies for reducing our direct operational emissions (Scopes 1 & 2), followed by the immense challenge of tackling our value chain footprint (Scope 3).

This brings us to the final, crucial questions: What do we do with the small fraction of emissions that are currently impossible to eliminate? And just as importantly, how do we talk about all this work authentically, without falling into the greenwashing traps that regulators and citizens are now so alert to?

It’s time to get juicy in our series on Net Zero and get stuck into the biggest area of our emissions. We’ve already focused on 'getting our own house in order' through developing practical strategies to reduce the Scope 1 and 2 emissions generated directly from our own operations and purchased energy. This is a fundamental and necessary step for any credible climate journey.

Now, we must confront the carbon sized elephant in the room: Scope 3.

For most drinks businesses, Scope 3 emissions – all the indirect emissions that occur in your value chain, both upstream and downstream – represent the overwhelming majority of their carbon footprint, often accounting for 80-90% or more of the total. Any Net Zero commitment that doesn't comprehensively address Scope 3 is, frankly, missing the point. While it is the most complex area to tackle, it is also where the greatest impact can be made.

In the last article, I attempted to demystified the terminology of decarbonisation, breaking down what Scopes 1, 2, and 3 mean for a drinks business. For most of us, the largest portion of our carbon footprint (often 80-90%+) is hidden in our Scope 3 value chain – in agriculture, our packaging, and logistics.

While tackling Scope 3 is the ultimate challenge (which we will discuss in our next piece), the foundational first step on any credible Net Zero journey is to get your own house in order. This means decisively addressing the emissions you have the most direct control over: your Scope 1 and Scope 2 footprint. These are the emissions generated within your own facilities and from your purchased energy. Let's explore the practical strategies to do just that.