NatWest has created a free digital Carbon Planner tool to support all businesses, not only NatWest customers, to reduce their carbon emissions and become more sustainable.

It comes as new NatWest Sustainability PMI research shows three quarters (76%) of large UK companies are urgently searching for more efficient, low carbon energy sources in 2023 to tackle rising fuel bills. 

This invaluable tool is available for anyone to use, not just NatWest customers, as the banking giant pledges to help SMEs cut their carbon footprint and costs. 

It forms part of the banking giant’s broader £100bn Climate and Sustainable Funding and Finance commitment. 

Bournemouth Echo:

Solange Chamberlain, Chief Operating Officer for Commercial and Institutional at NatWest Group, said: “Businesses of all sizes are coming under increasing pressure due to rising energy costs.  

“Our new Carbon Planner tool is designed to help navigate these challenging conditions by providing a clear case for investment in sustainability through equipping businesses with greater insight into areas of high-energy and high-carbon consumption. 

“Looking at this latest data, it’s clear that while large businesses are perhaps more able to switch to low carbon energy sources, SMEs continue to need our support.

"Our Carbon Planner is designed to be easy to use and applicable regardless of the size of the organisation.” 

Bournemouth Echo:

The nationwide survey measured attitudes and actions amongst purchasing managers across the UK and highlights just how concerned UK businesses are about the rising cost of energy. 

The NatWest Carbon Planner provides personalised actions based on user-data, enabling users to make better informed decisions when looking to reduce their carbon emissions.

Businesses can benefit from vital information such as the potential savings of adopting sustainability measures and the time it will take to earn a return on investment. 

But how does the Carbon Planner help businesses on their journey to net zero? It takes a business through four practical steps to help them act: 

  • Inform – lets businesses know their current emission hotspots and suggests alternatives to reduce business inefficiencies and cut costs
  • Plan – supports businesses in developing a plan of actions and build confidence in making decisions when setting climate transition plans or carbon reduction targets
  • Diagnose – helps businesses understand what is best for their business and invites colleagues onto the platform to help or share the business climate journey and target
  • Deliver – signposting potential options available to help them to take actions that can help their business and have the potential to reduce impact on the environment 

Bournemouth Echo:

Of the five key sustainability priorities measured, switching to low carbon energy sources ranked as the highest priority for large UK businesses. Conversely, this priority is lower and has fallen since the last quarter amongst SMEs.

Instead, they prioritise sustainability measures they feel are more achievable in the wake of rising costs, such as recycling (51%) vs low carbon energy consumption (44%). 

The Carbon Planner tool was designed with specialist climate insight and feedback from more than 2,000 businesses.

More than half (58%) of businesses surveyed think they will need financial help in order to reduce their carbon footprint. 77% believed the Carbon Planner will be ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ valuable to their organisation.

Sign up now for FREE to discover what suggestions the Carbon Planner has, to reduce your businesses inefficiencies and reduce costs:  www.natwest.com/carbonplanner