New research finds 91% of waste businesses have deprioritised meeting net zero targets – 25% higher than the UK average – due to perceived increased costs.
The research found that 87% of waste businesses thought that reducing CO2 emissions in their logistics fleet would increase costs.
British supply chain solutions company Wincanton surveyed over 500 decision makers for supply chain, transport and logistics working in organisations across multiple sectors in the UK with turnovers above £50m.
57% had turnovers between £100m and £499.99m and only 1% had turnovers between £50m and £99.99m.
89% of respondents in the Waste and Construction sectors said reducing CO2 emissions in their logistics fleet is a high priority, compared to 71% in fast-moving consumer goods and 62% in manufacturing.
We can see that a gap is emerging between their priorities and the action needed to reach net zero.
However, the research found that organisations are increasingly deprioritising net zero targets and goals, with 66% deprioritising environmental targets due to cost pressures.
The research also found that 67% of waste businesses reported that they want to reduce the environmental impact of their logistics fleet but don’t know how.
Paul Durkin, Chief Customer and Innovation Officer at Wincanton, said: “Sustainability remains a high priority for UK businesses. But it’s clear they aren’t making enough headway when it comes to reducing emissions in their supply chain operations.
“This is the result of the lack of viability and affordability of alternative fuel vehicles and ongoing cost pressures during a challenging economic period. We can see that a gap is emerging between their priorities and the action needed to reach net zero.”
