FTSE wastes little energy on emissions reports

The carbon management business analysed listed companies’ annual and CSR reports and similar sources. It found that, while 80% of the FTSE-100 considered climate change to be a business issue, less than half that number reported meaningful action to incorporate a reduction in carbon emissions into their core business strategy. Other findings include:

• Fewer than a fifth of FTSE-350 companies report purchasing renewable energy;
• 38% of FTSE-100 companies reveal their emissions targets;
• Just 6% of FTSE-250 companies reveal their emissions targets;
• Of those that published targets, only 60% actually claimed to be meeting them; the average target reduction in CO2 emissions was 2.4%

“Business has some way to go before we see meaningful results,” said Jonathan Shopley, chief executive of The CarbonNeutral Company, who admitted that some of the largest companies had “pioneered” energy initiatives.

Most companies now publish an environmental policy though only half of the FTSE-250 also publish relevant key performance indicators (KPIs). In the major index, 91% of FTSE-100 companies publish their environmental KPIs.