The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) has announced the formation of a new Strategic Expert Group on the Climate Emergency to oversee and guide its work in this area. The Institution has also launched its Net Zero Roadmap, which details its Pathway to Net Zero and brings forward its target date for achieving zero emissions by 5 years, to 2035.

The Strategic Expert Group (SEG) will be led by CIWM’s Chair of General Council, Liz Parkes. The Climate Emergency SEG will cover the waste and resources sector’s role in preventing climate change (mitigation – with a goal of net zero) as well as the need for the sector to be better prepared for climate impacts (adaptation). Members are being invited to join the SEG and form a network of climate champions in order to drive change.

CIWM’s Net Zero Roadmap includes a 2019 calculation of the organisation’s baseline carbon emissions. This provides a recent picture of emissions, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, that reflects a more typical level of activity. The baseline for CIWM and WAMITAB was set at 2,315 tonnes CO₂e, with 95.8% of the emissions classified as Scope 3 (such as those associated with our investments and supply chains).

The roadmap also identifies the key areas that will be addressed to decarbonise and reduce emissions across scopes 1, 2 and 3. This Net Zero Pathway includes reducing emissions resulting from investments by 100%; decarbonising the delivery of events and training services, with 90% of training to be online; and optimising business travel, cutting car journeys by 90% and only utilising air travel where it is unavoidable.

CIWM recognises that delivery of the Net Zero Pathway will leave some of the 2019 baseline emissions unabated. Whilst the detail is yet to be finalised, it is anticipated that CIWM will develop a strategy to offset these residual emissions and remove CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Liz Parkes, Chair of CIWM’s General Council, said: “The waste and resources sector plays a vital role in the UK’s transition to a net zero economy. Formation of the new Climate Change SEG will ensure CIWM continues to lead by example and support its members on their own journey to zero emissions. This summer’s heatwaves have also shown the need to increase our resilience to the changing climate and be confident that our essential services will withstand climate shocks.

When developing our Net Zero Roadmap, the Board of Trustees wanted us to be more ambitious and accelerate our progress towards net zero. This challenging objective will see CIWM achieve net zero well ahead of the UK’s 2050 target and play a key role in helping other sectors on their journey too.”

CIWM is also a signatory to the Pledge to Net Zero and the Professional Bodies Climate Action Charter.

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