Best Practise and Barriers on the Road to

Net Zero: Evidence from Companies in

Norfolk and Suffolk

September 2022

A report for the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership

University of East Anglia Team

Professor Naresh R. Pandit

Dr Vanya Kitsopoulou

Dr Usha Sundaram

University of Suffolk Team

Professor Darryl Newport

Ms Justine Oakes

Ms Beth Sowersby

Executive Summary

This report is funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund (CRF) and is one of the products of a

wider “Road to Net Zero” CRF Partnership led by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership for

Norfolk and Suffolk (NALEP). It identifies decarbonisation best practise and barriers to

decarbonisation on the road to Net Zero for companies in Norfolk and Suffolk. Online

questionnaire, one-to-one interview, and focus group data are triangulated to produce a

comprehensive evidence base for a set of 23 findings and a set of 24 recommendations. These

findings and recommendations are aggregated and connected in Table 1. Recommendations are

rated on a 1-5 scale with 1 = easiest to implement and 5 = most difficult to implement.

Table 1: Aggregated Findings and Related Recommendations

Aggregated Findings Related Recommendations

Information and Knowledge

 A Net Zero Information and Knowledge

Deficit is identified which poses a significant

barrier to action. Features of this deficit are:

- Quality of Information and knowledge: Lack

of clear, timely, and relevant information; lack

of practical, actionable knowledge.

- Access to information and knowledge: Lack

of support; and, lack of time and resource in

accessing expertise.

 SMEs are more affected by the deficit than

larger companies who are better networked

and better resourced for accessing in-house

and external expertise.

Improving Information and Knowledge

 Improving the information deficit.

- Information needs to be scaled from

general to specific where specific refers to

company size, stage on the road to Net Zero,

and, sector. Rating: 1

- Information to take the form of business-

friendly how-to guidance that translates

technical jargon into usable, adaptable

information. Rating: 2

- Existing information from reputable

sources to be linked to a central repository

for easy access by companies. Rating: 2

 Improving the knowledge deficit.

- Companies that demonstrate best practise

should be promoted as exemplars and

encouraged to share that best practise.

Rating: 2

Company Operations

 Actions towards Net Zero among SMEs are

limited because they are perceived as

discretionary.

 Companies prioritise easy piecemeal actions

with quick gains over more difficult plans that

deliver larger long term impact.

 Companies that have signed up to the Net

Zero challenge and pledges report financial

and social benefits from their decision.

 Companies that have embedded

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

reporting and compliance into their reporting

Improving Company Operations

 Extending ESG reporting to SMEs. Rating: 5

 Companies to be encouraged to declare a

climate emergency to kick-start emissions

planning. Rating: 4

 SMEs to be encouraged and supported to

engage in longer term strategic thinking.

Rating: 3

 More guidance and support for Net Zero

investment appraisals. Rating: 2

 Additional information targeting SMEs to

be developed outlining the availability of and

access to renewable energy to help SMEs

standards find it easier to measure, track, and

monitor their carbon emissions.

 Rising energy prices are driving more

companies towards reducing Scope 1 and 2

emissions and seeking cheaper renewable

energy.

 Waste, water, transport, work from home

(WFH) and collaboration with downstream and

upstream supply chains are the most popular

Scope3 emission reduction activities.

 A motivational dichotomy is observed in the

business community with one large group

prioritising profit and another large group

prioritising corporate social responsibility

(CSR).

 Companies are concerned by wider related

problems of water scarcity, biosecurity,

pollution, and food security.

make informed decisions about Scope 1 and

2 emissions. Rating: 3

 Companies that represent best planning

practise to be promoted as exemplars and

encouraged to share that practise. In

particular, large companies to be targeted as

potential leaders. Rating: 2

 Continued WFH home to be facilitated

when business-appropriate. Rating: 1

 Advice and support to focus on both profit

and CSR. Rating: 1

 Create dialogue forums that bring together

Net Zero concerns and related problems of

water scarcity, biosecurity, pollution, and

food security. Rating: 1

Technological Solutions

 Most long term technological solutions are at

an immature stage meaning that they are

either inaccessible or not scalable.

 Technological opportunities are highly

motivating.

 Lack of appropriate infrastructure is an

important technological barrier to Net Zero

actions.

 Lack of certainty on technology grants and

subsidies is an important barrier to Net Zero

actions.

Improving Technological Solutions

 More government spending on Net Zero

infrastructure. Rating: 5

 More, better, and more frequent

information on technology grants and

subsidies. Rating: 1

 More local knowledge dissemination

events on innovative energy alternatives.

Rating: 2

 Better representation of regional Net Zero

infrastructure requirements at national

policy-making levels. Rating: 2

Stakeholder Support

 Companies perceive significant issues

relating to the range and extent of support

received from key stakeholders in the region.

 Companies report inconsistent stakeholder

support across the NALEP region and across

sectors.

 Companies report greatest difficulty with

addressing Scope 3 emissions.

Improving Stakeholder Support

 Improved support from regional

stakeholders:

- All Local Councils to consider declaring

climate emergencies as a nudge to motivate

local companies to sign up for Net Zero

support and advice. Rating: 2

- Closer ties between NALEP/Chambers and

local Trade Associations which are best

placed to address critical Scope 3 emissions.

Rating: 3

- More geographical and sectoral spread of

Net Zero events to be more inclusive of all

sub-regions and all significant sectors.

Rating: 1

Communications

 Official Net Zero communications are

perceived as underdeveloped, jargon-heavy,

and opaque.

 Companies perceive official Net Zero

communications with suspicion and

scepticism.

 Another dichotomy is observed in the

business community with one large group

perceiving official communications as

trivialising the problem and another large

group perceiving official communications as

alarmist.

 Net Zero communications are perceived to

lack practical applicability.

Improving Net Zero Communications

 Create a multi-pronged communications

strategy that uses a variety of techniques.

Rating: 3

 Develop clear, jargon-free guidelines to

scaffold Net Zero commitments. Rating: 2

 Develop self-help guides for SMEs that lack

resources and time to carry out independent

research. Rating: 2

 Establish peer-to-peer influence by

promoting exemplars of best practise.

Rating: 2

 Use incentives to nudge companies to

balance commercial and environmental

commitments:

- Emphasise legal and regulatory obligations.

Rating: 1

- Create support resources that help SMEs

set target dates. Rating: 1

- Create support resources for monitoring,

measuring, and tracking carbon emissions.

Rating: 2

- Work with local experts to develop dual

reporting mechanisms that incorporate

financial and environmental compliance.

Rating: 2

- Train and support Net Zero advisers as

single sources of truth in providing

mentoring, guidance, and advice for SMEs.

Rating: 4

- Ensure that the overarching

communications strategy moves from

general to specific, from easy to difficult,

from low to high impact, and from internal to

external focus. Rating: 2

This report identifies a Net Zero information and knowledge deficit which poses a significant barrier

to decarbonisation action. An easy to access Net Zero regional repository of resources and

signposted support would assist in reducing this barrier. Such awareness-raising, particularly

among SMEs, should be a priority for policy-makers and this can be supported by improved

marketing communications and incentives for Net Zero education, training, and skills development.

Regulatory requirements for SMEs, which have been effective among larger companies, also need

serious central government policy commitment.

Strategic planning for Net Zero, particularly among SMEs, requires urgent support and

development. A strategic planning process is required across the SME population. This involves

making a commitment to Net Zero, perhaps by declaring a climate emergency, setting measurable

Net Zero targets, and then forming a programme of related actions to achieve those targets. Very

importantly, this strategy should not be produced independently of overall strategy. Instead, in

order to be credible and effective, it should form part of overall strategy. Local and central

government, collective organisations such as trade associations and chambers of commerce,

education and skills providers such as universities and further education colleges, and exemplar

peers all have a role to play in helping SMEs to define and improve strategic planning on the road to

Net Zero.

This report also identifies a need for greater regional cohesion in terms of the management and

leadership of the Net Zero agenda. This is particularly important for companies that feel excluded

within their sector, or across the rural-urban divide and have yet to take their first serious step

towards making a commitment or taking action. Greater cohesion will also strengthen the region’s

lobbying power nationally when competing for scarce Net Zero funding. Knowledge exchange

workshops, active listening, placemaking, branding, and a cluster-based development are all means

to improve cohesion.

1. Introduction

This report is funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund (CRF) and is one of the products of a

wider Road to Net Zero CRF Partnership led by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership for

Norfolk and Suffolk (NALEP). The CRF is a UK Government programme that aims to support people

and communities across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches to prepare for the £2.6

billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) which succeeds European Union (EU) structural funds. SPF

money is intended for local places across the UK to invest in three priority areas: communities and

place, support for local companies, and people and skills.

The NALEP CRF Partnership has engaged key regional actors for climate policy and business support

in a collaborative pilot initiative designed to provide business support and grants on a Net Zero

future, building business advice expertise, and developing a portfolio of tested interventions.

Delivered together, across both Norfolk and Suffolk, they have reinforced each other for a deeper

impact, evolving an established approach of consistent delivery across both counties. Partners

include the New Anglia Growth Hub, Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, Suffolk and Norfolk

Chambers of Commerce, the University of East Anglia (UEA), the University of Suffolk, and

Groundwork East.

The purpose of this report is to identify best practise and barriers on the road to Net Zero for

companies in Norfolk and Suffolk. The evidence in this report will inform advisory focal points,

directly contributing to county-level Climate Emergency Plans and will provide the foundation for a

Communications Plan across both counties.

A mixed methods research design consisting of an online questionnaire survey, a one-to-one

interview survey, and a focus group survey was implemented to collect evidence. Data from the

three methods were triangulated to improve the validity and depth of the findings (Creswell, 2014).

Each method was led by a different researcher. The use of multiple observers in a single study

further improves the validity of findings (Archibald, 2016). Further details of the study’s

methodology are provided in the Appendix.

The report is structured as follows. The next section outlines the report’s policy context at both

national and regional levels. Section 3 presents evidence on best practise on the road to Net Zero

focussing on carbon measurement practise, carbon planning practise, Net Zero communications,

and Net Zero actions. Next, Section 4 presents evidence on general barriers on the road to Net

Zero and explores features of this in terms of sources of advice and intrinsic and extrinsic

motivation for Net Zero actions. Section 5 details the sector-specific and county specific nuances

that the data reveal and Section 6 draws on all the findings and recommendations to provide

recommendations for marketing communications and management and leadership across both

counties. A final section concludes.

2. Policy Context

In June 2019, the UK Government amended the Climate Change Act and committed the UK to

achieving “Net Zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (BEIS, 2021). The terms “Net Zero and

carbon neutral are often used interchangeably but have different meanings. Carbon neutral simply

means balancing carbon emissions and carbon removal, or offsetting carbon emissions with carbon

removal (IPCC, 2018). Net Zero goes further to mean reducing carbon emissions as far as possible

before offsetting. Whereas carbon neutrality can be achieved through offsetting alone, Net Zero

requires additional carbon reduction action. This report focusses on Net Zero. The terms

“greenhouse gases” and “carbon” are also often used interchangeably in policy-making circles.

When the term carbon is used, it usually means all greenhouse gases with non-carbon greenhouse

gases expressed as carbon equivalents. This convention will be maintained in this report. The Net

Zero goal has its roots in policy in 2012 when the UK Government was the first to introduce

compulsory carbon emissions reporting for the UK’s largest listed companies. The idea of a staged

journey towards Net Zero via categories of carbon emission reduction referred to as scopes 1, 2 and

3 was discussed at that time and this in turn had its origin in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG,

2001), a product of the partnership between the World Resources Institute and the World Business

Council for Sustainable Development. Scopes 1-3 are outlined in Table 2.

Table 2: Emissions Scopes 1-3

Source: Worldfavor (2022).

While, Scopes 1-2 relate to emissions largely within the company’s control, Scope 3 relates to

emissions the company does not control but still causes. These “supply-chain emissions” include all

of a company’s indirect impacts, upstream and downstream, not already captured by the GHG

Protocol’s Scope 1 and 2 reporting. Scope 3 emissions generally considerably outweigh those under

Scopes 1-2, accounting for up to 90% of a company’s total carbon impact (Cumberlege, 2022).

Measuring a company’s greenhouse gas emissions by scope is viewed as a critical precursor for

carbon reduction actions.

The 2019 Act provided a clear carbon target and laid the foundation for carbon policies to achieve

that target. Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener (BEIS, 2021), was presented to parliament in

2021, seeking to build on the 2020 Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution (BEIS, 2020).

Both of these documents set out conditions for the private sector to generate, grow and invest in

green industries and outlined decarbonisation pathways to reach Net Zero by 2050.

The work required to deliver Net Zero will rely on strong partnerships between business and local

and central government. Central government’s primary support is delivered through funding with

local authorities using the funding to drive local carbon reduction.

Local Authorities (LAs) across the UK have responded by making Climate Emergency Declarations to

demonstrate local political commitment (Gudde et al., 2021) and all Norfolk and Suffolk LAs are in

the process of developing and/or implementing delivery plans to decarbonise and work towards

Net Zero. Climate funding and carbon focused energy efficiency initiatives for business have been

underway at both LA and County level for several years. For example, the Suffolk Climate Change

Partnership was established in 2007 and led to the Suffolk Climate Change, Energy and

Environment Board. The receptive nature of local government and business support organisations

presents a viable and tested vehicle through which to support the acceleration and widening of

participation from all business sectors on the road to Net Zero.

Suffolk County Council made an early Climate Emergency Declaration in 2019 and aims to achieve

Net Zero emissions by 2030 (Suffolk County Council, 2022). A Climate Emergency Implementation

Plan and the Suffolk Climate Emergency Action Plan have been produced through cross county

collaboration to provide a framework for implementation. Similarly, Norfolk County Council

(2022a) has committed to Net Zero by 2030 and the Norfolk Climate Change Partnership has

secured two CRF-funded projects: Community Energy Kickstarter and Sustainable Hydrogen in Fleet

Transport. The broader Strategic Infrastructure Delivery Plan and Environmental Plan of the council

also state aims to achieve Net-Zero by 2030 (Norfolk County Council, 2022b).

Both County Councils collaborate on cross-county initiatives that seek to support companies looking

to achieve carbon reductions. For example, Suffolk’s Carbon Charter supports SMEs to

continuously improve performance, measured by an accreditation scheme, with audits fully funded

by Business Energy Efficiency Anglia (Carbon Charter, 2019). Larger organisations are encouraged

to commit to decarbonisation and sustainable practices as Pathfinder Partners working towards

accrediting their supply chains. These initiatives are also being pursued by Norfolk organisations.

Companies on the road to Net Zero are supported by the NALEP, the New Anglia Growth Hub, and

both Norfolk and Suffolk Chambers of Commerce. In 2020, NALEP responded to Parliament with a

Local Industrial Strategy that identified Norfolk and Suffolk as the UK’s Clean Growth Region, citing

agri-food, clean energy, and digital/ICT as critical sectors. NALEP’s Economic Strategy seeks to

speed up investment in clean growth and Net-Zero and both the current Business Plan (NALEP,

2022a) and the current Delivery Plan (NALEP, 2021) focus heavily on this agenda.

NALEP provides consultancy support, online toolkits and resources, dedicated training resources,

and a Clean Growth for Business programme consisting of webinars, events, online resources,

blogs, and podcasts for companies to achieve Net Zero. The pursuit of Clean Growth is defined as

“growing an environmentally positive and resilient economy by exploiting the region’s strengths,

driving the adoption of clean technology, enhancing natural capital, and reducing waste,

accelerating sustainable infrastructure, equipping and empowering business and people to take

advantage of the opportunities in moving to a zero-carbon economy” (NALEP, 2022b). Delivery is

further supported through the Business Growth Programme by the New Anglia Growth Hub which

provides decarbonisation advice, funding signposting, and tailored solutions.

Both Norfolk and Suffolk Chamber of Commerce assist their members with climate and energy

efficiency support, facilitating strategic collaborations through regular business group meetings on

Net Zero policy and clean growth. The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce offers additional training

through a free Business Climate Leaders Programme aimed at SMEs wanting to begin or develop

decarbonisation implementation. Events, webinars and online resources, including carbon

footprint calculators, are provided by both Chambers.

Both counties’ carbon reduction ambitions are supported by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and

the University of Suffolk (UoS). UEA is ranked 1st in the UK for research impact in climate and

environmental sciences and has recently established an interdisciplinary research theme for climate

research: “ClimateUEA”, led by its Norwich Business School. UoS is the home of the Suffolk

Sustainability Institute with strong research and business activities in built environment and

emerging nature-based solutions and long term collaboration with the Suffolk Climate Change

Partnership and the Carbon Charter.

3. Best Practise on the Road to Net Zero

In what follows, the best practise of local companies is reported in terms of carbon measurement

practise, carbon planning practise, Net Zero communications, and Net Zero actions. Findings (F1 …

Fn) and recommendations (R1 … Rn) are summarised at the end of each sub-section.

3.1 Carbon Measurement Practise

Respondents were asked about the extent to which they were aware of their carbon emissions and

their carbon measurement practise (Figure 1). The majority (58%) stated that they were aware of

their emissions although a sizable proportion were unaware or not sure (42%). More problematic,

only a minority of respondents (28%) measure their carbon emissions on a regular basis and from

this finding, it is unsurprising that only a minority of respondents had developed the right expertise

to deliver Net Zero with skilled employees that understood their role in achieving Net Zero.

Figure 1: Carbon Measurement Practise

A chi-squared statistical test reveals that all four questionnaire items are inversely related to

company size. That is, smaller companies are significantly less likely to be aware of their carbon

emissions, measure their carbon emissions on a regular basis, or have expertise to deliver a carbon

neutral business with current employees understanding their role in achieving Net Zero.

Interview and focus group data corroborate and elaborate these results. Representative quotes are

as follows.

Lack of awareness

We don’t know where to start.

We’re not perfect and we’ve still got a long way to go on this journey. To keep going. I think

everybody gets safety in our business now and there’s been a lot of work done on it. If we talk

about energy sustainability, decarbonisation, it’s still not … anywhere near as well-known.

They may or may not have employed somebody to window dress something to put something on

the website that looks like they’ve got it. But I’m not sure they really have.

If I want to go on that journey, I don’t know how to and there’s no real road maps out there apart

from I suppose people out there looking to take profit out of what does Net Zero look like and how

you measure carbon capture and sequestration, whatnot? So yeah, I suppose that’s in my sightline,

but not being actioned.

Exemplars

So, I think the most important thing we did was measure, you know, understand where we were at

the start, and we probably started that in 2016. We had already been working on things in a more

ad hoc manner … We started to measure more accurately and then I suppose it’s been a phased

approach. Looking at more accurate measurement rather than general measurement to identify

particular areas, where we were wasting power or carbon.

I think an important aspect is that you’ve got to understand where the carbon is coming from, to

put in place a proper plan, that can be costed as well, to get to your Net Zero target … this type of

process you can’t do it by yourselves.

I work in a fundamental way. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. So, without a calibration

there and a system to work to, you know I struggle …

I think you need to be self-aware, so during the carbon audit, the scope 1, scope 2 the scope 3 type

emissions, that’s key …

We started properly. We’ve always measured. In 2017, we did a detailed review … Once we set

strategy up for each one of those areas and as of last year it was down to 3 tonnes ... we got down

from 33 tonnes down to 3 tonnes really simply and it didn’t cost us any more money than we’re

spending before. And since then we have been advocating actually how simple it is for companies

like ours to do this ... But we’ve also developed tools for us that we then rolled out to our clients

where it shines a light on where emissions come from.

I think, until we all measure, we’re never really going to understand. I think we should just say

everyone’s got to do it. There are big changes coming on that in Europe now in Holland and Italy

every company with over 100 employees has to report all their emissions.

Education, training, and skills development

You know what really helped us as well is when you have taken part in a number of courses at …

college. Me, my finance director, our QHCT manager did the five-day IEMA [Institute of

Environmental Management and Assessment] certified sustainability course and then we’ve looked

at lots of different one-day and two-day courses for other levels of staff within the business. Just to

give everyone the awareness.

Findings

 F1: A fundamental finding is that the majority of respondents are not aware of their current

Net Zero position or usage baseline. It follows that they lack the foundation on which to

plan and implement carbon reduction actions. SMEs are particularly affected.

 F2: Compulsory requirements for large companies to measure and report emissions are

reported to work effectively.

 F3: Education, training, and skills development play an important role in raising awareness.

Recommendations

 R1: Raising awareness is an important first step towards Net Zero.

 R2: Awareness can be raised by supporting the measurement of carbon emissions on a

regular basis and supporting the education, training and skills development of employees to

understand their role in achieving Net Zero.

 R3: SMEs should be targeted for special support in raising carbon emissions awareness.

 R4: Companies that represent best measurement practise should be promoted as exemplars

and encouraged to share that practise.

 R5: The compulsory requirement to measure and report carbon emissions should be

extended to SMEs. SMEs should be supported to meet this requirement.

3.2 Carbon Planning Practise

Respondents were asked about their carbon planning practise (Figure 2). The majority of

respondents (51%) report that their company has identified priority areas for carbon emission

management and 49% have gone further by actively addressing those areas. However, only 17%

had set measurable Net Zero targets and only 19% had formed a strategy to achieve those targets.

Figure 2: Carbon Planning Practise

When asked explicitly if their company had made a commitment to Net Zero, only 26% of

respondents said that they had with 74% saying that they had not or were still considering it (Figure

3). Relatedly, only 25% had set a deadline by which to achieve Net Zero (Figure 4).

Figure 3: Has Your Company Made a Commitment to Net Zero?

Figure 4: Net Zero Deadlines

Once again, a chi-squared statistical test reveals that all questionnaire items on carbon planning

practise are inversely related to company size. That is, smaller companies are significantly less likely

to have identified priority areas for carbon emission management, started addressing priority

areas, set measurable Net Zero targets, have a clearly defined Net Zero strategy, made a

commitment to Net Zero, or set a deadline for Net Zero.

However, when a deadline had been set to achieve Net Zero, respondents were confident that their

company would achieve Net Zero by that deadline (Figure 5) with only 12% disagreeing.

Figure 5: Confidence That Company Will Achieve its Net Zero Target by the Set Deadline

Interview and focus group data corroborate and elaborate these results. Representative quotes are

as follows.

Planning problems

We’ve done a number of things, and we’ve done them not necessarily in the right order where we

sat down, we carefully planned, and then we executed … we started before we started the strategy.

Businesses are far more resilient than people think but businesses won’t invest unless they can see a

pay back. They don’t want to do it unless they are driven to it. It’s a massive undertaking for

businesses, very big, very expensive, and they don’t necessarily have the cash to do it. They are

being driven down this road to their detriment ... it’s a massive task, probably a 10 year strategy but

most businesses don’t do any more than 3-5 year strategies if at all and Net Zero don’t usually

feature in that ... it’s a totally different language that businesses have to learn let alone understand

how to measure and monitor.

Net Zero is not one thing … it is across the business … it is a massive project management endeavour

and takes years to achieve.

Is it piece meal? It is. The goodwill is there.

If reporting was mandatory, it would make a hell of a difference reporting all emissions, not just

energy, but all emissions and that would make a massive difference to our client base too, so I think

mandatory reporting, common sense reporting, not just in silos would start things moving really

quickly.

Exemplars

In 2016 we produced an energy management strategy and action plan which was about our

corporate estate and reducing emissions from our corporate estate, improving the energy efficiency

and taking cost savings out by doing so. But it didn’t really get any kind of drive behind it until we

declared a climate emergency in 2019. And all of a sudden, we had lots of drive to pull all the

various elements of things that have been happening over the years together … so I would say that

commitment from senior leadership in declaring publicly a climate emergency is what really drove

things on.

The quicker you can get closer to zero, the smaller the offsetting bill. And we will have to offset ...

And we want to make sure that it’s gold standard, super credible, auditable ... we’re not looking for

the cheapest tonne of carbon removal. We’re looking for something that looks good, smells good,

that other people think, looks and smells good as well.

I take every client on a sustainable development journey rather than a development journey.

But we’ve got a target for our claim. The biggest part of our claims is the supply chain to be Net

Zero by 2030 … 85% of our suppliers signed up to science-based targets. Signed up to commitments

by 2030.

Findings

 F4: Many companies have made a start in carbon emission planning. However, setting

measurable Net Zero targets and forming a strategy to achieve those targets are both

uncommon practises; particularly among SMEs.

 F5: About three quarters of respondents have not made a commitment to Net Zero.

 F6: Of those that have made a commitment to Net Zero, and set a deadline for achieving it,

the overwhelming majority were confident of achieving Net Zero by their deadline.

 F7: Declaring a climate emergency can pivot a company from piecemeal actions towards

setting a Net Zero target date and a strategy to achieve that target.

Recommendations

 R6: Companies should be encouraged to declare a climate emergency to kick-start emissions

planning.

 R7: SMEs should be targeted for special support in setting a Net Zero target date and a

strategy to achieve that target.

 R8: Companies that represent best planning practise should be promoted as exemplars and

encouraged to share that practise. In particular, large companies which are further down

the road to Net Zero, should be targeted as potential leaders.

3.3 Net Zero Communications

Respondents were asked about their Net Zero communications (Figure 6). A clear picture emerges

from the data. The majority of companies do not publish carbon emission data, nor do they

communicate their Net Zero actions internally, to key stakeholders, or include Net Zero actions in

marketing communications.

Figure 6: Net Zero Communications

Once again, a chi-squared statistical test reveals that all questionnaire items on Net Zero

communications are inversely related to company size. That is, smaller companies are significantly

less likely to publish carbon emissions, communicate Net Zero actions internally, communicate Net

Zero actions to key stakeholders, or include Net Zero actions in marketing communications.

Interview and focus group data corroborate and elaborate these results. Representative quotes are

as follows.

Some trade associations and unions are more interested in being seen to be doing the right thing –

the greening agenda – rather than represent their members’ interests to the best of their abilities in

terms of costs, economics, risks etc.

I question sometimes with Net Zero where the point in time comes between now and 2050 when it

stops becoming a bit of a buzzword.

Net Zero needs to stop being a buzzword and becomes part of everyone’s everyday life and

vocabulary - it should be a given, not just being asked about.

Findings

 F8: Net Zero communications are very underdeveloped, particularly among SMEs.

 F9: Net Zero communications lack credibility and are often perceived with scepticism.

Recommendations

 R9: SMEs should be targeted for marketing communications support.

 R10: Trade associations and unions should focus more on the economic and business

dimensions of Net Zero when communicating with members.

 R11: Marketing communications relating to Net Zero actions could be developed

incrementally starting with internal communications, then key stakeholder communications,

and finally for general public consumption.

3.4 Net Zero Actions

Respondents were asked about Net Zero actions that they had already implemented (Figure 7). The

top three actions are energy reduction, waste reduction and reduced transport emissions. These

are relatively easy to implement and deliver easily demonstrated financial impact and so their

popularity is unsurprising. More difficult to implement actions and actions with unclear short-term

financial benefits are less popular and include purchasing carbon offsets, the provision of onsite

renewable energy, and the implementation of eco policies for employee travel. 10% of

respondents declared that they had not implemented any of the defined actions to date.

Figure 7: Actions Already Implemented

Interview and focus group data corroborate and elaborate these results. Representative quotes are

as follows.

… one simple thing that we did was that we were using quite a lot of normal electricity and we went

to renewable and so that reduced our carbon footprint quite a lot.

One of my big roles here is to try and look at our own fleet of vehicles and our own property

portfolio. How we reduce those emissions and then … we look at the base data on an annual basis.

[There is now] far more of an emphasis on home working … we found our productivity as an

organisation through the pandemic was far better and our transport costs so considerably lower

that it seems to me there’s no logical sense to be encouraging people back into the office … only

coming into the office or only traveling to meetings when it’s necessary to do so, rather than

because that’s what we’ve always done.

I was flying to lots of events in Europe to speak. I can now do them online and so I think we’ve got

to make sure that we don’t lose that. We do need to go back to some face-to-face, but where we

can and where it makes sense to do it, we should continue to use online in my view.

We have something called a climate change ask with our suppliers where we’re asking all of our

suppliers to commit to focus on their emissions and to work with us to see how they can improve

their environmental impact.

So, we’ve changed all the urinals we had with waterless urinals … We started using alternative

methods from rather than gas for heating, LED lighting. We started with the new buildings. We

made sure they were all sustainable and … insulate older big buildings. We were sharing car sharing

scheme … we then started on the electric car scheme. So, after we did all that then we stepped

back. Then we said, well, maybe actually we need a strategy.

Findings

 F10: Net Zero actions are shallow and there are a significant number of companies that have

yet to start their journey to Net Zero.

 F11: The most popular Net Zero actions are easy to implement with a demonstrable

financial impact.

 F12: Companies tend to prioritise what is easy rather than what has most carbon reduction

impact.

 F13: Working from home is seen as an effective method to reduce carbon emissions.

Recommendations

 R12: Companies yet to act on Net Zero should be encouraged to implement the most easy

and most financially rewarding actions.

 R13: Companies that have already acted towards Net Zero should be encouraged to

implement more difficult, more impactful, and more long-term actions.

 R14: Working from home should be facilitated when business-appropriate.

4. Barriers on the Road to Net Zero

In this section, the barriers to decarbonisation that local companies face are identified followed by

sources of advice on Net Zero, and, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for Net Zero actions.

Respondents were asked about barriers to Net Zero actions (Figure 8). A major theme from Section

3 reappears as a key reported barrier is a scarcity of knowledge for implementing Net Zero actions

with 63% agreeing with this statement. Relatedly, 62% agreed that there is limited availability of

carbon information and 62% agreed that that there is a lack of client understanding or demand for

Net Zero products and services. The majority of respondents (54%) thought that low carbon

innovation was very costly and that this was a barrier to Net Zero actions. More positively, only

32% of respondents agreed that negative perceptions of low carbon alternatives was a barrier to

Net Zero actions.

Figure 8: Barriers to Net Zero Actions

Interview and focus group data corroborate and elaborate these results. Representative quotes are

as follows.

On implementation know-how

There’s no go-to place … to see what it means, how can it be applied … there is no single source of

truth.

They’re confused of what the county does and what the district does and what the city does and

what the parish does. It’s all just an opaque blur.

[Current guidelines are] a bit woolly. Oh, you could do it this way or that way, or your own way. It’s

the British government thing again of we’re going to get rid of red tape. So, the fire brigade used to

come to your factory and say you’ve got to do this, this, this, and this and then you get a certificate.

So, we’re not going to do that anymore. Instead, we’re going to say to you, you’re all responsible.

We’re not going to tell you how to do it, and you don’t know who to really employ, and you don’t

know if you’ve done it properly.

I know a number of businesses that go, I’m not doing grants, ‘cause I haven’t got time to do all the

application work … It doesn’t matter how you say, but why don’t you get some free money before

you spend your own? Yeah, but it’s just that I have no time ... I’m running 20 hours a day, running

my business. Where do you expect me or find another 10 hours to do an application?

On carbon information

Carbon offsetting schemes, it’s still slightly the Wild West out there, you know, nobody quite knows

what it is ... and the market is not consolidated or structured in anyway, and the government have

been quite clear that they’re not going to step in and create a market. They’re just going to see how

it falls out … Right now, it feels very immature and slightly sort of opportunistic.

... one of the things we like to see is certainty, policy certainty ... The longer time we can have

certainty around government policy and the kind of horses they’re gonna back in the technology ...

That is good for us. And I think all we’ve seen recently is ... Lack of certainty really. It’s not that

clear rather than we need to decarbonise. So I think there’s a little bit of flip-flopping around to be

honest.

I think there’s a number of issues have been flagged up to us, particularly around cost, around

certainty as to where the market will go, and on some of the schemes that are out there, how robust

they are. Their real concern is that whilst they can sign up for things at the moment … they’re not

sure about the long term … And they can borrow money in most cases, but until they have the

certainty around, really the legal frameworks around the audit frameworks and around the cost

profile for the long term, they’re very, very scared really. To make those big bets.

On lack of demand or understanding

We’ve had real problems with our workforce buying into it …There’s a core of us and bearing in

mind that I’ve explained really openly why, I said, there’s a danger of not having a business to work

at if we don’t do something about this. It’s not entirely selfless, you know, let’s be honest about it.

It’s massively price sensitive and what we found is though customers will say yes we’d like a

company with Sustainability and ESG [Environmental, Social, and Governance] credentials … but

also for it to be top one or two on the price comparison website.

We already have a pretty good idea of what happens within our site. We understand what our

carbon footprint is … what they’re really struggling with is some of the scope 3. So, when we

import, when we buy in other types of services such as packaging, when we buy in transport, the

rest of the supply chain, because what we’re being asked to do is to get through to a complete

carbon footprint for the supply chain end to end. We’re finding it easy to do it for our own business.

For the rest of the supply chain ... very, very difficult indeed. To get any data that we can work with.

We now know what we need to target and, you know, what’s it going to cost, what to reduce

where, and you know, we’re very focused upon the net being very, very small ... and we will … get

to Net Zero scope 1 and scope 2 … but the scope 3 is the biggest piece of work for us.

[Regarding Scope 3] Maybe some industries have got amazing supply chains, so they’ve got all the

data, but I doubt it.

On the cost of low carbon innovation

Our biggest issue really is the cost of the electric vehicles has gone through the roof.

I can’t bank the electricity and the infrastructure isn’t there for me to get it back into the grid, so I’m

typically using an eighth of my roof space for solar when I could be using 100%, we’re willing to go

100%, but I’m capped so I’m frustrated.

One of the challenges we’re really finding is we’re running quite ahead of the industry … We spoke

to a [supplier] … completely sustainable, but 250% more expensive ... It’s probably going to be a bit

of a hit if we run that far ahead of the industry.

Findings

 F14: Access to Net Zero know-how is a barrier to Net Zero actions.

 F15: Uncertain and low quality information is a barrier to Net Zero actions.

 F16: Employee, buyer, and supplier demand for Net Zero activities is weak.

 F17: Many low carbon technologies have yet to mature, or achieve production at scale,

meaning that that their cost is high and standardisation is only emerging.

Recommendations

 R15: There is a need for more trusted Net Zero advisers.

 R16: There is a need for higher quality information on Net Zero actions.

 R17: There is a need for government support to be consistent and long term.

 R18: There is a need for particular support in identifying and reducing Scope 3 emissions.

4.1 Sources of Advice on Net Zero

On the basis that Net Zero actions will depend on good information and advice, respondents were

asked about sources of advice on Net Zero (Figure 9).

Figure 9: Sources of Advice on Net Zero

A key finding here is that 23% respondents declared that they were not sure where to look and a

further 39% relied on a general internet search. The reliance on government, specialist

associations, and membership bodies for advice suggests that trust and specificity are important

factors.

Interview and focus group data corroborate and elaborate these results. Representative quotes are

as follows.

On trust

Solar never is commercially viable ... I’ve done it thrice in the past seven years and we’ve just done it

again last week and every single time the payback comes back within 6 to 8 years, even though the

cost of the solar panels has come down significantly, the efficiency of the solar panels have gone up

significantly and the cost of fitting them is much lower than it was. So working around the costs

have come down, the cost of energy is gone up massively, yet the payback is still 6 to 8 years, so it’s

a false market because the people who are selling their systems are really … ripping off the …

customer.

On specificity

The carbon associated with food transport is a massive issue and we haven’t got a model yet that

really works for the long term. Even the largest businesses are not sure about which way they want

to go. Should they go for EV? Should they go for hydrogen? Should they go for biomethane? Should

we try and go onto rail freight? Should we use more sea freight? Nobody really knows what the

right mix is, but we can expect to see lots of change, and so we’re trying to set up some major

schemes really to try and work with the sector and to try and answer those questions.

Finding

 F18: Companies complain of a lack of good information and advice on how to begin their

journey, how to move from shallow to deep actions, and which actions have the best chance

of succeeding.

Recommendation

 R19: Trust and specificity are important requirements of good information and advice on

Net Zero. A larger role for industry or cluster specific trade associations that bring together

related local companies, local government and local universities is implied.

4.2 Intrinsic Motivation for Net Zero Actions

Net Zero actions may be rooted in intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation relies on

personal or company-level drivers while extrinsic motivation relies on external drivers.

Regarding intrinsic motivation, profit is the most significant factor for 26% of respondents closely

followed by ethical considerations for 25% of respondents (Figure 10). These are contrasting

motivations with profit narrowly relating to the company’s financial performance and ethical

considerations relating to the company’s broader corporate social responsibility (CSR) and so a

motivational dichotomy is observed. More clearly, only 14% of respondents declared legal

obligations as the most important reason to pursue Net Zero actions.

Figure 10: Intrinsic Motivation for Net Zero Actions

Interview and focus group data corroborate and elaborate these results. Representative quotes are

as follows.

Profit

Some people take a purist view of things, it’s too theoretical, the tree hugging approach which is

anti-growth.

Most people you meet on any kind of gathering have a business selling some kind of green, greenish

whim. I’m not criticising that, but we shouldn’t apologize if we see an opportunity to make money

because otherwise we can’t do it.

Always wanted to make sure it made good business sense, you know, to reduce power and we

realized we were in a climate emergency a long time ago … And as the evidence mounted around

the climate emergency, you know it became clearer and clearer and clearer what we needed to do.

… a lot of [actions] are non-production focussed, but actually you know we’re using up assets

potentially for non-productive usage … To me that just gets missed at the minute, which just makes

me a little bit hesitant that the balance of the you know the shift doesn’t go too far the wrong

direction.

CSR

The journey to Net Zero shouldn’t just be focused on carbon emissions alone. It’s going to be about a

careful consideration of the energy we are using and to what end and to making sure that we are

giving careful consideration and due regard for resource management, especially for something as

vital as water.

You know, if everyone can do more with our local habitat, you look up in five years and you’ve

changed things rather than aim for some aspirational target and say that that changes the way we

are as a business and actually, you know, I wasn’t expecting any of that.

I’ve got a 6 year old and a 7 year old child. They’re gonna be alive for a long time. It makes you

think about things, you know, in a different way maybe … We’ve always had a long term vision, but

we’re a family business. We’re not all about making the pound today. It’s all about longevity.

I’ve got two young children.

Findings

 F19: A motivational dichotomy is observed within our samples with one large group

prioritising profit and another large group prioritising broader CSR including environmental

issues beyond carbon emissions such as water scarcity which is particularly relevant in the

New Anglia region due to low levels of precipitation and rising demand.

 F20: Legal obligations for SMEs are currently weak and are not driving net zero actions.

Recommendations

 R20: Advice and support to focus on both profit and CSR.

 R21: The introduction of more demanding legal obligations will motivate more Net Zero

activity.

4.3 Extrinsic Motivation for Net Zero Actions

Regarding extrinsic motivation, investor pressure is the most significant factor for 36% of

respondents followed by energy prices for 27% of respondents (Figure 11). Providing further

support for the existence of a motivational dichotomy, investor pressure and energy prices are also

the two most frequent least significant factors. Technological advancement and regulation are

reported as important extrinsic motivators for Net Zero actions.

Figure 11: Extrinsic Motivation for Net Zero Actions

Interview and focus group data corroborate and elaborate these results. Representative quotes are

as follows.

On investors’ pressure

Being a sustainable business gives you an advantage like a company like Patagonia has in, you

know, clothing. That’s a brand that people want to buy into. For what they stand for and charge a

premium for.

[There is a ] kind of Halo effect, that I think is quite important to businesses now I think more, more

so than ever to be associated with doing the right thing.

On regulation and government directives

There has to be both carrot and stick … you have to mandate it so everyone can see, learn, publish

along with tax return ... make it the law.

On energy prices and technological advancement

[Regarding the investment in solar] Well, if that’s the return, just bring me more investments like

that. It’s just a no-brainer. You know, the first one we did was just over five years. The second one

we did was more like 3 1/2 years because of the cost of power.

Yeah, I think for us ‘cause we quite like to be at the front of things. It’s sometimes the products just

aren’t ready … There’s not really anything available. You know for what we want ... We’ve done

everything we can easily do.

Findings

 F21: That investor pressure and energy prices are unimportant to one large group of

respondents and very important to another large group of respondents supports the

existence of two separate groups within the business community with contrasting

motivations.

 F22: Technological opportunities are an important motivator for Net Zero actions.

 F23: Stronger regulatory requirements for SMEs can be an important motivator for net zero

actions.

Recommendations

 R22: Business advice and support should focus on both financial benefits and CSR.

 R23: Advice and support should focus on translating technological opportunities.

 R24: The introduction of more demanding regulation will motivate more Net Zero activity.

5. Nuances in the Data

5.1 By Sector

This sub-section details sector-specific nuances that the data reveal.

Agri-Food

The interview and focus group data indicate that Net Zero information and knowledge are

particularly problematic in Agri-Food. This is because many farmers are small landowners or tenant

farmers with small holdings. Their incomes are modest and so they do not have the financial

headroom to invest in Net Zero information and knowledge acquisition. This problem is

compounded by the fact that carbon is emitted from a large number of sources including livestock

and manure, synthetic fertilizers, and fuel and machinery making a simple one-size-fits-all solution

infeasible. Another challenge that is particularly prevalent in Agri-Food is the paucity of

technological solutions. For example, electric alternatives for farming equipment are not available

yet and those that are emerging, such as robotics, are not scalable yet. Scope 3 emissions are

particularly large in Agri-Food and these are the most difficult to tackle.

All of this means that supporting the Agri-Food sector will require greater personal engagement

rather than providing simple arms-length support. Personal engagement is required to build trust

and demonstrate competence and relevance and can facilitate access to grants for renewables and

support for diversifying economic activities that generate greener revenue streams. Relatedly,

peer-to-peer learning is particularly important in Agri-Food. These methods are the best means to

achieve the behaviour change that is required. Given the importance of the sector in the East

Anglian economy, it is critical for stakeholders to develop collaborative working relationships based

on trust and respect with farming communities.

Clean Energy

The key challenge for the electricity and gas sector is to ensure a smooth transition to renewable

sources that minimises credit and market risks for both consumers and producers. Taxes, subsidies,

and regulatory frameworks should increase rewards for renewable energy and penalties for high

carbon energy; at point of consumption, and also at the research and development (R&D) stage for

new technological solutions. Hydrogen, offshore wind, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) are

particularly important in the region and so the potential for this sector to contribute to the Net

Zero agenda is high. Growth in these areas will rely on the provision of specialised training and

skills. Local providers should be encouraged to develop appropriate courses.

Construction and Development

This sector is one the biggest emitters of carbon with great potential to improve environmental

practises. New approaches to company operations are required to improve carbon efficiency.

Currently, large builders are beginning to seriously address the carbon reduction agenda and need

to tackle the problem of embodied carbon including taking greater responsibility for emission

reporting responsibilities elsewhere in the supply chain where building materials are modularised

and/or sourced, often from factories abroad with much poorer environmental and reporting

practises.

There is scope for better ESG compliance and more comprehensive reporting mechanisms including

not just direct but also indirect emission reporting. This will highlight the environmental impact of

design and manufacturing processes and so point to the where the largest waste and emissions

reductions can be achieved. Construction design, construction materials, and building site activities

all require urgent attention. A focus on the cement and concrete value chain and embodied carbon

can yield the largest carbon reductions. Sector employees will need training to close the skills gap

caused by new practises.

There is scope for more collaboration to achieve carbon reduction. That includes joined-up thinking

and strategy with councils on planning permission for house building and better connectivity to

public transport links. Also, greater collaboration across the supply chain involving data and best

practise sharing on carbon emissions. Planning permission for the development of existing

buildings is also important and here there is a desperate need to increase labour in skilled trades

related to infrastructure transition and retrofits.

Financial and Related Professional Services

The priority for the region’s financial and related services sector is to direct investments towards

low carbon projects and infrastructure. Best practise in the City of London should be adopted and

this will be easiest for local companies with operations in the City. The risk management approach

to carbon reduction that has been successfully adopted in the City needs to spread to all locations

where financial services cluster. The government should include climate goals within financial

regulations and set targets for the sector.

ICT/Digital

ICT/Digital has great potential to act as a facilitator of carbon reduction. Firstly, by enabling WFH

and low carbon communication for those that work away from home. Further investments in rural

broadband are needed to sustain current practises and accelerate this trend. Secondly, ICT/Digital

can enable carbon emission reductions in other sectors by supporting the Smart Cities concept as a

means to drive down carbon emissions generally. The sector also presents the opportunity to apply

circular economy principles with greater sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and

recycling of products all of which reduce waste and so carbon emissions.

Manufacturing and Engineering

In the NALEP region, Manufacturing and Engineering companies are predominantly energy-

intensive SMEs with large Scope 1 and 2 emissions footprints. They face rising costs and thin

margins and so are amenable to exploring alternatives that would reduce their energy bills and

dependence on fossil fuels. However, they also face the constraints of lack of time, research

expertise, and knowledge resources to explore alternatives. Easy to follow guidelines and know-

how from trusted sources will help Manufacturing and Engineering companies access the

information, expertise, and grants that they need to take the first steps towards exploring cheaper

energy alternatives. Solutions such as shared and distributed renewable energy networks, grouped

solar farms in industrial parks, better synergies with alternatives such as anaerobic digesters are all

currently alien and need to become more familiar. Even then, it is important to acknowledge that

renewable energy is currently a poor substitute for fossil fuels in this industry and so significant

progress in reducing carbon emissions is dependent on technological breakthroughs. A key

challenge facing Manufacturing and Engineering companies is the measurement and reduction of

Scope 3 emissions. This requires understanding and working with vertical supply chains and

horizontal related sectors. Another feature of Manufacturing in the NALEP region is a focus on food

manufacturing which is characterised by high production volumes and multiple distribution

channels and includes all activities in the processing, preservation and manufacture of food. All of

which means that companies involved are very diverse. Specialist sector-specific guidance is

required to minimise food waste and switch to sustainable packaging.

Ports and Logistics

Companies operating within Ports and Logistics are further down the road to Net Zero possessing

the means to measure and monitor carbon emissions and a relatively high degree of understanding

and knowledge of how to achieve Net Zero. Challenges facing this sector are more strategic as they

relate to wider infrastructure, grid power shortages, and the availability of large-scale electric

machinery alternatives. The scale of investment required is significantly higher than other sectors.

There are also some emissions that cannot be decarbonised, only offset. Solutions require regional

and national policy interventions relating to infrastructure investment. Locally, there is scope for

more collaboration between road and rail from the Felixstowe, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn and

Lowestoft ports, more integrated EV charging at rail stations and airports, and more localised,

integrated public transport solutions with better road to rail connectivity which requires better

coordination with local councils.

Visitor Economy

This sector offers great potential for green transformation at relatively low cost through more

joined-up thinking and creative efforts. With climate change and increased difficulties with travel

abroad, both Norfolk and Suffolk are well placed to develop from small seasonal tourist

destinations to a larger year-round model. Challenges facing this vision are poor connectivity,

infrastructure, and ignorance of initiatives such as National Green Accreditation Schemes. More

integrated public transport solutions, offering a better linked public transport network that expands

reach into rural and semi-urban areas can lift the pressure on roads and minimise car travel while

also increasing footfall for leisure and visitor attractions. More joined-up policy and strategic

thinking by councils would go a long way to embedding creative solutions around mobility, shared

EV charging infrastructure, back-to-base bus and coach travel, innovative cross-county ticketing

solutions, and better regulation for sections of the unregulated second home/holiday let market

which are amongst the biggest carbon emitters. There is also scope for restaurants to include

carbon accounting in menus to enable informed choices and project the region as environmentally-

conscious. Further measures that could help environmental place branding are efficient lights and

showers, the promotion of vegan and vegetarian menu options, and the minimisation of food

waste. The Carbon Charter is well placed to support this sector, with many exemplar micro and

SME members having demonstrated commitment, improved carbon performance, and leadership.

5.2 By County

The economies of Norfolk and Suffolk are broadly similar in terms of industry and governance

structure and specialisation. An important difference is that Suffolk’s economic activity is dispersed

with multiple hubs in West Suffolk (Newmarket, Sudbury, overspill from Cambridge); East Suffolk

(Woodbridge); port areas; and financial and related professional services in Ipswich. In contrast,

Norfolk is dominated by the County city of Norwich. This difference means that a more inclusive

Net Zero approach is required in Norfolk to ensure that sectors and companies outside of Norwich

do not feel left out of the conversation. Connections between Norwich and out of city companies

can be encouraged by industry bodies and local government by ensuring a greater geographical

spread of Net Zero events.

6. Recommendations for Marketing Communications and Management and Leadership

6.1 Marketing Communications

The evidence from this study clearly indicates serious information and knowledge barriers on the

road to Net Zero. Put simply, there is a lack usable information and knowledge: an information and

knowledge deficit. Both the quality of information and knowledge and access to information and

knowledge are problematic. Quality suffers from lack of clarity, timeliness, relevance, practicality,

and actionability. Access suffers from lack of support and lack of time and resources in accessing

research and expertise across consultants, trade associations, local authorities, and representative

bodies. Earlier in this report we recommended the creation of a Regional Net Zero repository to

disseminate jargon free, up-to-date information and knowledge that organisations can easily

access. Such a repository can compile and showcase the region’s growing expertise in Net Zero and

form a cornerstone for communications and knowledge exchange detailing:

 Key organisations in the Region that are able to provide free advice and support.

 Background information on Net Zero, decarbonisation, and sustainability interpretations.

 De-jargoning toolkits including a list of useful abbreviations and acronyms.

 Exemplars of company size, company age, and company sector-specific approaches to

carbon mapping, measuring, and monitoring tools and frameworks.

 Case studies of innovations in the region including innovative products, services, and

solutions available in the region in the areas of finance and energy alternatives.

 A list of approved consultants and experts operating in the region who offer specialist

expertise, consultancy, and advice in energy solutions, as well as finance expertise in areas

of lending, leasing, tariffs, pricing mechanisms, audit, assurance, and specialist finance

solutions.

 Infographics on step-by-step approaches to tackling decarbonisation challenges using tools

such as embedded calculators.

 Fact sheets and frameworks advising companies on how to evidence commitment to

decarbonisation so they can navigate supply chain pressures better.

To ensure that the repository is effective in reach with a single voice, the following can be explored:

 Linking and affiliating the repository to local collective organisations such as trade

associations and chambers of commerce so that information searches from members can be

signposted.

 Linking and affiliating the repository to relevant national and international organisations not

only to access relevant external information and knowledge but also to promote the New

Anglia region as a leader in Net Zero.

 Using the repository to disseminate current information on funding and grants from local,

regional, and national bodies.

 Using the repository to disseminate a variety of information and formats ranging from

mailers, newsletters, audio-visual material, FAQs, infographics, to booked appointments

with specialists and enterprise hub advisers.

 Employing a hub-and-spoke model for geographically dispersed information dissemination

throughout both counties via small, frequent, Q&A forums and interactive engagement with

companies and business organisations.

 Developing a rolling calendar of events including:

o Meet and greet forums.

o Cross-sectoral events that exploit synergies across sectors.

o Themed discussions on issues impacting the region involving key respondents. For

example planning barriers, challenges to EV charging infrastructure, business rates,

and concerns about stresses on grid capacity and UKPN networks. More

engagement from these stakeholders with companies will enable dialogue in a spirit

of coordination, collaboration, and transparency.

7.2 Management and Leadership

The evidence also points to a lack of regional cohesion in business sectors across both counties and

this impacts on the ability of companies to progress towards Net Zero. Many sectors and trade

associations do not feel included in decarbonisation conversations which are seen to be dominated

by specific interests and/or confined to certain geographical areas to the exclusion of others.

Horizontal and vertical business management and leadership is perceived to lack integration with a

disconnect in horizontal communication, joined-up thinking, planning, and action across the various

stakeholders, business leadership forums and local planning authorities which impacts

communication, engagement, as well as practical planning decisions such as access to

infrastructure. Vertically, many companies are concerned by the impact of national level policies

and the lack of a strong regional voice that can manage “upwards” their lobbying relationships with

policymakers and government bodies. Lobbying organisations such as local Chambers and the CBI

have a role to play here.

Strengthening regional horizontal and vertical business management and leadership requires the

development of:

 Visibility

 Coherence

 Momentum and Momentum Building

Visibility

The single source of truth repository can be used beyond developing marketing communications to

lay the foundations for more visible regional business management and leadership. It can:

• Build evidence.

• Showcase best practise.

• Facilitate conversations between and amongst companies through planned events.

• Encourage people to share their decarbonisation and Net Zero experiences and

journeys.

• Build effective peer-to-peer engagement.

• Expand reach through personal and professional networks.

• Encourage the development of Sustainability Angels and Decarbonisation Champions.

• Foster constructive dialogue between business representation and key stakeholders

such as planning authorities and UKPN.

Coherence

Activities designed to build visibility can lead to greater regional coherence by:

• Facilitating inclusive sectoral and regional conversations.

• Facilitating wider network engagement.

• Increasing dialogue with overlooked sectors and deprived economic wards.

• Increasing transparency.

• Developing unified voices for key regional issues.

• Shine a light on key issues that require greater lobbying efforts with political interests,

policy makers, and national funders.

Momentum

Building visibility and coherence allows regional business interests to work together to generate

momentum for accelerating the decarbonisation agenda in the region. This can be done through

two related methods.

• Cluster and Placemaking. Similar to food, which is also an underexploited activity in the

region, the decarbonisation agenda is ripe for a cluster-based developmental approach.

As with food, it will remain immature without resources, business leadership input and

strategic direction. Both Norfolk and Suffolk have the commitment, ambition, and

aspiration for being among the greenest counties in the UK, a stance that provides a

strong basis for a clear green-based placemaking identity. Both counties also have

several examples of innovation and best practises in a number of related areas such as

energy, technological solutions, finance, and transport offering high and low-tech

solutions. A cluster based approach would therefore:

o Facilitate a better understanding of supply chain scope 3 emissions including current

risks and future opportunities.

o Encourage collaborative ways to improve supply chain efficiency to reduce scope 3

emissions.

o Bring together these innovative ideas and explore opportunities for synergy and

symbiosis.

o Facilitate cross-pollination of innovation ideas.

o Develop an integrated approach to regional issues that consider not just

decarbonisation and Net Zero but an integrated energy-water-food-biosecurity

agenda. This is a clear concern and specific to the region’s climate, temperature,

rainfall, topography and natural habitats and there is genuine concern that the Net

Zero dialogue is being decontextualised from the wider canvas.

o Showcase innovation projects in a way that impacts wider economic activity beyond

energy and renewables.

o Project the role of regional “champions” which operate nationally and globally.

o Develop Norwich-Ipswich as a specialist green corridor that brings together energy

consultancy, expertise, combined with financial expertise in areas of green

consultancy, finance, lending, audit, assurance, and insurance.

• Momentum Building. The advantage of a cluster-based approach is that it can efficiently

focus energies and build momentum for high-impact projects. Currently there are many

innovative practises, ideas, and solutions prevalent across the region that can be

brought together in a more connected manner. Examples that draw from solutions that

have been successfully implemented in other parts of the country with fewer

innovations and a much smaller activity base than Norfolk and Suffolk are as follows.

o Sustainable and integrated local transport. With some joined-up thinking and action,

this would bring together aspects of public transport, innovative pricing solutions,

and the visitor economy to offer better non-car based travel connectivity across the

region. This would promote year-round sustainable tourism to take advantage of

local climate and weather conditions, bring economic benefits to coastal regions,

ease pressure on over-touristed areas, and minimise the impact of excessive holiday

home and lettings activities.

o Hydrogen cluster. Sustainable connected travel activity can be extended beyond

urban areas into rural and cross-county levels and linked to the emerging potential

of hydrogen, specifically, green hydrogen. Linking transport operations to green

hydrogen using existing capabilities can create a viable proof-of-concept hydrogen

project and enable the region to tap into wider funding pots like Hy4Heat to develop

funding pipelines for a potential hydrogen village or cluster.

o District Energy and Demand Aggregation. Bringing together regional expertise in

demand aggregation and public assets such as council buildings, and public facilities

and linking them to solar, wind, hydrogen, and other district energy-hubs could

provide integrated energy, heat, and water solutions while showcasing the benefits

of an integrated water-energy-biosecurity approach.

7. Conclusion

This report has identified best practise and barriers on the road to Net Zero for companies in

Norfolk and Suffolk. Online questionnaire, one-to-one interview, and focus group data have been

triangulated to produce a comprehensive evidence base for a set of 23 findings and a set of 24

recommendations. These findings and recommendations have been used to inform

Communications and Management and Leadership towards Net Zero across both counties.

From the findings, it is clear that awareness-raising among SMEs should be a priority for policy-

makers and this can be supported by an easy to access regional repository of information and

knowledge on Net Zero, improved marketing communications, and incentives for Net Zero

education, training, and skills development. Whilst necessary, these measures are unlikely to be

sufficient to keep local SMEs on track to Net Zero. Regulatory requirements, which have been

effective among larger companies, will also need strengthening.

A second clear and important conclusion is the need for strategic planning for Net Zero, particularly

among SMEs. A formal and simple strategic planning process based on best practise amongst larger

companies is required across the SME population, building on the exemplary pockets currently

observed. This will involve a commitment to Net Zero, setting measurable Net Zero targets, and

then forming a strategy of related actions to achieve those targets. Very importantly, this strategy

should not be produced independently of overall business strategy. Instead, in order to be credible

and effective, it should form part of overall strategy and include an analysis of the strengths and

weaknesses of the company and the opportunities and threats that it faces.

Local and central government, collective organisations such as trade associations and chambers of

commerce, education providers such as universities and further education colleges and exemplar

peers all have a role to play in helping SMEs to improve strategic planning on the road to Net Zero.

When playing their roles, all of these supporting actors should acknowledge the motivational

dichotomy that is observed in this report’s findings to focus on the profit and CSR aspects of Net

Zero actions in a balanced manner.

A final important conclusion is the need for greater regional cohesion in terms of the management

and leadership of the Net Zero agenda. This is important for companies that are committed and

energetic but perhaps even more important for companies that feel excluded and have yet to take

their first serious step on the road to Net Zero. Greater cohesion will also strengthen the region’s

lobbying power nationally when competing for scarce Net Zero funding. Placemaking, branding,

and a cluster-based development are all means to improve cohesion.

Appendix: Study Methodology

A1 Online Questionnaire Survey

A literature review was conducted to identify themes and survey questions. Published and grey

literature within the past five years were searched using relevant search terms. A survey

instrument was then produced within Qualtrics and piloted to check for clarity and length of time

to complete, with twenty minutes targeted as the average completion time. The questionnaire

included sections on demographics including sector membership, company size and company age

(6 questions), the company’s Net Zero journey (6 questions), best practises (2 questions), and

motivation and barriers (4 questions). Questions required respondents to pick from a list of

options, rank a list of options, or indicate attitude via Likert scales. Survey design and methodology

were approved by the Norwich Business School Research Ethics Sub Committee before respondents

were approached.

To identify suitable participants, data were collected from the FAME Database. FAME provides

information on both public and private companies across the UK and Ireland. The following filtering

process was employed.

Step 1. All active companies and companies with unknown situation.

Step 2. Norfolk and Suffolk postcodes.

Step 3. All companies with a phone number.

Step 4. All companies with a website.

Step 5. Boolean search: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4.

This returned a total of 13,374 companies for Norfolk and 9,873 for Suffolk. Database cleaning (i.e.,

eliminating duplicates, companies with no active contact information, no tax return for the past

year, or pending status) returned a total of 2,340 companies for Norfolk and 1,892 companies for

Suffolk. Where possible, individuals with either involvement in the decision-making process and/or

implementation of environmental policies in their company were targeted. The survey was

distributed between March - June 2022. Distribution was conducted via email, social media

(LinkedIn and Twitter), newsletters, posters and face-to-face events. Participation in the survey

was voluntary and anonymous. A total of 267 responses were received of which 231 were

complete and usable. All responses identified with one of 12 key sectors. A chi-squared test

indicated that there is no statistically significant difference between responses by county and total

companies by county. In any case, given that the geography, climate, and economic activity in the

two counties is similar, we expect findings to be generalisable across both counties. Data were

analysed within Qualtrics and charts and tables produced for inclusion in this report.

Figures 12-16 outline the characteristics of the online questionnaire sample. The majority of

responses were received from companies based in Norfolk (79%). Regarding sector representation,

construction and development, advanced manufacturing and engineering, financial and related

professional services, and voluntary, community & social enterprise (VCSE) all achieve a 10% or

above share of the responses. Given that SMEs account for 99.9% of all UK companies, it is not

surprising that our sample is dominated by SMEs (89%), among which nearly half (47%) are micro

companies with 9 or fewer employees. Respondents were experienced with over half (51%)

working in companies established for more than 20 years and over half (55%) in ownership or CEO

roles.

Figure 12: Responses from Norfolk and Suffolk

Figure 13: Responses by Sector

Norfolk

79%

Suffolk

21%

Figure 14: Responses by Company Size

Figure 15: Responses by Company Age

Figure 16: Responses by Company Role

A2 Interview Survey

Survey design and methodology were approved by the Norwich Business School Research Ethics

Sub Committee before respondents were approached.

Potential interviewees were approached via an email that included participant information and

consent forms, a description of the project, and the main questions that would be asked.

In-depth structured interviews were conducted with those who consented. Further data were

gathered from others who chose not to fully participate but were able to send brief comments via

email, telephone, or face-to-face. Participants were assured that all confidential, identifiable

information would be redacted. The interviews were conducted via MS Teams and recorded and

transcribed. The interviews took place between March and June 2022.

A total of 31 in-depth one-hour long structured interviews were conducted with 33 participants (2

interviews had 2 participants each). The interviewees represent a cross-section of business and

sectoral interests – single person consultancies, self-employed entrepreneurs, family owned and

operated companies, larger SMEs, trade bodies and associations, and large companies – across a

range of cross-county, regional economic sectors as identified by the NALEP. Many companies

were situated at the intersection of multiple economic sectors so it was difficult to clearly classify

and categorise them. The composition of the 31 interviewees was: New Anglia Clean Growth Task

Force specialist advisers (1); finance, insurance, assurance services (3); logistics and transport (6);

visitor economy, hospitality, tourism (2); construction, building, housing, technical skills (4); energy

(6); retail, agri-food (2); manufacturing, agri-food, machinery, services (4); farming (1); agriculture,

agri-food, retail (2). In addition, brief comments were received from 33 further participants in

agriculture and farming (3); hospitality tourism leisure and visitor attractions (7); infrastructure

services (1); agrichemicals (1); energy (8); public and private healthcare (3); professional and digital

services (2); education including multi-academies (2); construction manufacturing engineering and

sustainable building (5); and business aviation (1). The split of total participants by region was:

Based in Norfolk: 60%; Based in Suffolk: 22%; Based elsewhere but with operations in Norfolk and

Suffolk: 18%.

The project brief was outlined at the start of each interview and the project’s objectives were

highlighted. Follow up questions were asked and final thoughts and comments were invited. All

participants were offered sight of their transcript. All declined.

Interview transcripts ranged from 31 to 40 pages. The data were coded, categorised into themes,

and triangulated with questionnaire and focus group data. Themes from the data analysis centred

on organisational, sectoral, regional and wider stakeholder perspectives including challenges,

barriers, opportunities, best practises, and innovations. Themes also included wider stakeholder

engagement, skills-related challenges and nudge behaviours. Representative quotes were

extracted and categorised.

A3 Focus Group Survey

Three focus groups were conducted for the study each led by a moderator/facilitator. Two were

populated by representatives from the Norfolk and Suffolk Agri-Food (18 participants) and ICT

Digital sectors (12 participants), both of which are NALEP priority sectors, and the final one was

populated by members of the New Anglia Clean Growth Task Force (10 participants). Survey design

and methodology secured approval from the Norwich Business School Research Ethics Sub

Committee before implementation.

Focus groups ran for about 40 minutes each online via MS Teams and were recorded and

transcribed to allow for subsequent data analysis. Participants were informed that they had been

chosen you to take part in the study because they had been identified as a person who plays a

relevant, active and important role in their sector either as practitioner, policy-maker or analyst. In

order to encourage candour, participants were assured that collected data and any personal,

identifiable information collected about them would be kept strictly confidential. Full participation

was actively encouraged leading to “ripple effects” and rich dynamic exchanges of facts and

opinion. The focus groups were conducted during March 2022.

A structured focus group schedule was followed. Questions were open-ended and encouraged

recollection rather than explanation. Participants were also encouraged to take time to think about

their responses before stating them. Participants were encouraged “share and compare” their

responses to two broad questions relating to the project’s objectives.

Firstly, participants were asked to reflect on actions that they had taken on the road to Net Zero

categorising responses into generic/non sector-specific actions and specialised sector-specific

actions. Two rounds of input were conducted to allow time for thought and responses based on

the responses of others.

Secondly, bearing those actions in mind, participants were asked to reflect on the challenges that

they faced. Again, participants were asked to categorise responses into generic/non sector-specific

challenges and specialised sector-specific challenges and two rounds of input were conducted to

allow time for thought and responses based on the responses of others.

Finally, concluding contributions were sought from each participant allowing each to make a new

point that had not been made before and/or to summarise their overall thinking on the topic. All

participants were thanked for their participation.

Focus group data were deconstructed, coded and categorised into themes, and triangulated against

the questionnaire and interview data to identify and reconcile differences and similarities. Results

were also compared to the extant literature and again differences and similarities identified and,

where possible, reconciled.

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