Introduction

I have spent my career helping organisations make strategic decisions about how to decarbonise their buildings and estates, and I see the same blockers time and time again. 

The trap people fall into is thinking that decarbonisation is about PV or heat pumps, when really it’s about much more than that.  You can’t make a decarb strategy work without the four Cs: collaboration, communication, compromise, and context.

So I wrote this series of Field Notes setting out my observations.  They are not definitive technical guidance.  I have not managed to achieve all of it with every client.  But they represent the philosophy of how I have learned to try to approach complex decarbonisation projects and programmes.

My hope is that one reader will find one thing that’s at least slightly helpful.

A Net Zero Strategy That Works For You, Not Against You

In an ideal world, your Net Zero Strategy would be delivering annual carbon reductions exactly as planned, taking you on a controlled trajectory towards zero emissions by 2050.  Can you picture the graph, with its graceful downward swoop towards zero?  It could have come straight from the SBTi website.  It’s beautiful.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?  But if it doesn’t sound like your experience of Net Zero, you are not alone.  Even the best strategies don’t automatically translate directly into results.  

What’s going wrong?

It is all too tempting to commit to an overly ambitious strategy that slashes your emissions on an accelerated timeline.  After all, we’re seeing impacts of climate change in this summer’s heatwaves and wildfires, and it’s a rational response to want to act.  The problem is that while it’s easy to write down, it’s not as easy to deliver.

You probably have a roadmap, with a timeline and interim targets.  An action plan for this year, and maybe next.  But despite that, your carbon numbers aren’t coming down.  In fact… are they going up?  And you have already been adjusting milestone dates for actions that have been missed.  Despite all your efforts, you are still seeing a disconnect between strategy and results. 

But why?

Because none of it is as easy as it sounds!

It’s not a lack of commitment that’s the problem.  You know how important it is, and so do all of your colleagues.  Everyone is behind Net Zero in principle.  But they also all have day jobs with their own priorities, budgets and pressures that already take up all of their time and energy.

Is there another way to think about this?

From my experience, organisations making the most progress are not necessarily those with huge sustainability teams or flashy reporting platforms.  They are the ones with buy-in (real buy-in) from across the whole organisation.  

For your strategy to work, it needs to be woven into your operations, taking account of conflicting priorities and budget constraints.  Ideally it will adapt standard operations to accommodate measures that will save carbon.  Some recent examples I’ve seen of carbon reduction initiatives that work with, not against, organisations include:

• Decarbonisation measures being incorporated into long-term estates plans based on a timeline driven by asset condition 

• FM teams being consulted during the design process to understand the impacts of plant room layouts on repairs and maintenance  

• Adoption of standard wording in all contracts and appointments to actively make carbon part of the procurement process

Where the actions required to reach Net Zero can be integrated into BAU across your whole organisation, real progress starts to be made.  The key thing is to build a strategy that works with your organisation structure and builds collaboration between departments.  Because if Ghostbusters taught us anything, it’s that you can’t solve the biggest problems without crossing the streams.

……Plot Twist!

Your strategy will never deliver in a vacuum.  Before you change it, try changing its relationship with your organisation.

JFDI: You Already Have The Knowledge You Need

*Just Do It…  with a minor addition.  A friendly term used in situations where the best course of action is to stop procrastinating and get on with it.

Data is wonderful.  It holds the secrets of the universe, just waiting there to be interpreted and understood.  It tells us stories that underpin scientific breakthroughs and enhance our understanding of the world around us.  You may not be able to tell from reading this, but I really like data.

However, there’s a problem.  Data is not always where or what we need it to be.  And when that missing or incomplete data is the foundation for something as big and complicated as a Net Zero pathway, then it’s absolutely understandable to put off making decisions until you know you can rely on the information you have.

But when it comes to the climate crisis, there also needs to be a degree of urgency in our action.  So in this case, we can’t let perfect be the enemy of good.  We simply can’t afford to wait until the day we have perfect data (insider tip – that day is never coming).

What’s going wrong?

No organisation on Earth (I’ve checked) has a complete dataset that has been consciously structured to support all decisions required for a Net Zero pathway.  You are not alone in having gaps, strange values that you can’t explain, and data that is buried deep in different departments across your organisation. 

But why?

Compiling Net Zero data is not, and has never been, a fundamental part of the operation of your organisation.  Your organisation exists to build a product or deliver a service, not to work out how to decarbonise itself. 

It takes time and resources to gather and cleanse datasets.  It adds to people’s day jobs, and they don’t see any obvious benefit.  How often have you asked the finance team for Purchased Goods and Services data and felt like you were ruining someone’s day?  It’s not personal, it’s just that everyone already has too much to do.

Is there another way to think about this?‍ ‍

Data generation is not your end goal.  The point of data is to unlock knowledge, and sometimes it’s possible to short-circuit the process.  Someone in your organisation already knows where to start.  Many actions are obvious - which buildings are using a disproportionate amount of your energy budget?  Which ones have kit that is broken all the time?  It’s not just your estates and maintenance teams; every department already knows what is keeping them awake at night.  And whatever it is, is guaranteed to have its own carbon footprint. 

I’m not saying that you should blindly plough ahead with big investment decisions without supporting data, but there are lower risk actions that can be delivered now, not just to save carbon but also to realise wider benefits and help your teams sleep soundly.  

……Plot Twist!

You think the risk lies in poor data quality and availability.  It doesn’t.  The real risk is in putting off action by waiting for perfect data.

Someone in your team already has the knowledge you need.  So JFDI. 

Every Estate Can’t Do Everything First

Decarbonising your organisation is a complex task (understatement alert) and cannot be achieved overnight.  It is based on a daunting coordination exercise involving hundreds of individual actions and dependencies, and requires buy-in from a network of stakeholders across different departments.  You can’t do all of it at once.  Which is why prioritisation is essential. 

We know all of this to be true.  So why does it feel like a compromise?  It’s difficult not to feel that you’re letting the side down by not doing everything now.  In the context of the climate crisis, how do you hold your nerve and push actions out by 10 or 15 years?

What’s going wrong?

You have a Net Zero commitment, and the organisation bought in to the idea of fighting climate change.  But the systems and mechanisms to make this happen in your organisation simply do not exist to support such widespread change on a short timeline.

It feels like it’s not moving fast enough.

But why?

Each of the detailed actions and programmes you painstakingly set out in your strategy is dependent on resources, investment and collaboration across departments. 

What is holding you back is not a lack of planning or commitment.  It’s the same challenge that every organisation has.  Everyone is doing their best to deliver Net Zero despite constrained budgets, people’s limited time and divided attention, day-to-day business operations, and complex external pressures.

Is there another way to think about this?

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  Net Zero is simply too big and too complicated to be able to fix all in one go. 

Ambitious, comfort-zone-pushing action plans are great, but only if they are deliverable.  Pragmatic, logical, data-informed choices are always going to win in the end because they are realistic and therefore have a greater chance of being implemented. 

Choosing what not to do yet is one of the most courageous decisions you will make.  It’s counterintuitive, but it’s often the most economic approach.  Your existing assets have inherent value, not just financially, but in terms of their embodied carbon.  To replace them ahead of time is wasteful on both counts.  Getting the most out of the assets you have already invested in is a defensible position, even when it means continuing to use fossil fuels in the short term.  You have not failed if you are using a gas boiler in 2030 – you have only failed if you don’t have a plan to replace that boiler when it reaches end-of-life.  Sometimes the lower-carbon decision over the whole life of the estate is to wait until the time  is right. 

Believe in your pathway.  It is a sound long-term plan based on prioritisation and logic.  Give yourself permission to use gas a bit longer without feeling guilty.  Some actions and investment need to wait their turn.

……Plot Twist!

The climate crisis creates social, reputational, and emotional pressures to do everything on an accelerated timescale.  But every estate can’t do everything first.

The real challenge is deciding what not to do yet.  And being ok with it.

Every Estate Can’t Do Everything First

Decarbonising your organisation is a complex task (understatement alert) and cannot be achieved overnight.  It is based on a daunting coordination exercise involving hundreds of individual actions and dependencies, and requires buy-in from a network of stakeholders across different departments.  You can’t do all of it at once.  Which is why prioritisation is essential. 

We know all of this to be true.  So why does it feel like a compromise?  It’s difficult not to feel that you’re letting the side down by not doing everything now.  In the context of the climate crisis, how do you hold your nerve and push actions out by 10 or 15 years?

What’s going wrong?

You have a Net Zero commitment, and the organisation bought in to the idea of fighting climate change.  But the systems and mechanisms to make this happen in your organisation simply do not exist to support such widespread change on a short timeline.

It feels like it’s not moving fast enough.

But why?

Each of the detailed actions and programmes you painstakingly set out in your strategy is dependent on resources, investment and collaboration across departments. 

What is holding you back is not a lack of planning or commitment.  It’s the same challenge that every organisation has.  Everyone is doing their best to deliver Net Zero despite constrained budgets, people’s limited time and divided attention, day-to-day business operations, and complex external pressures.

Is there another way to think about this?

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  Net Zero is simply too big and too complicated to be able to fix all in one go. 

Ambitious, comfort-zone-pushing action plans are great, but only if they are deliverable.  Pragmatic, logical, data-informed choices are always going to win in the end because they are realistic and therefore have a greater chance of being implemented. 

Choosing what not to do yet is one of the most courageous decisions you will make.  It’s counterintuitive, but it’s often the most economic approach.  Your existing assets have inherent value, not just financially, but in terms of their embodied carbon.  To replace them ahead of time is wasteful on both counts.  Getting the most out of the assets you have already invested in is a defensible position, even when it means continuing to use fossil fuels in the short term.  You have not failed if you are using a gas boiler in 2030 – you have only failed if you don’t have a plan to replace that boiler when it reaches end-of-life.  Sometimes the lower-carbon decision over the whole life of the estate is to wait until the time  is right. 

Believe in your pathway.  It is a sound long-term plan based on prioritisation and logic.  Give yourself permission to use gas a bit longer without feeling guilty.  Some actions and investment need to wait their turn.

……Plot Twist!

The climate crisis creates social, reputational, and emotional pressures to do everything on an accelerated timescale.  But every estate can’t do everything first.

The real challenge is deciding what not to do yet.  And being ok with it.

Surviving Contact With Reality

A Net Zero target doesn’t replace your organisation’s fundamental purpose.  You still have to deliver the products and services you exist to deliver.  Between now and 2050, it is inevitable that your organisation will grow and change in order to do that.  On top of that, there will be external factors that you can’t control, and that none of us could even see coming.  Extreme weather.  Global pandemics.  Strikes.  Political changes.  Alien invasion.  Who knows?!  Quite frankly, at this point, anything is possible.

How can you make sure your strategy will still get you to Net Zero when there is so much reality to get through between now and 2050. 

What’s going wrong?

You wrote a detailed strategy, supported by a timeline of planned activities and corresponding carbon reductions.  But now that you are into the delivery phase, you find your strategy isn’t working, despite all the hard work you put in.  Everyone bought in at Board level and agreed that was the way it was going to be done, so you can’t change it now, can you? 

But why?

Your targets are fixed, but nothing else is.  External events have an impact on your business operations but they aren’t in your control.  Which means you are responding and reacting to whatever reality has in store for you.

But even without external factors, businesses are constantly changing.  Success is measured in ever-increasing revenue and greater demands for products and services. That pushes up your carbon emissions as you increase headcount, travel more, use more square footage, buy more stuff from your supply chain.  Your product goes viral on TikTok, or you win a big new project you didn’t think you had a chance on, and suddenly all of your projections are nonsense and you can forget any meaningful comparison with your baseline. 

Is there another way to think about this?

I visualise delivering a long-term Net Zero strategy as if I am a contestant on It’s a Knockout (younger readers may wish to substitute Total Wipeout here).  Before the starting whistle went, I thought my best route was to go over the red one and round the blue one, but now that I’m in amongst it, I see I have to go under then over.

And the same goes for Net Zero strategies.  The end point of achieving zero emissions by 2050 is fixed, but everything else along the way is going to have to flex and adapt.  Because it is impossible for anyone to know what metaphorical custard pies and wet sponges are going to be thrown at you along the way. 

But if you are being precious about the strategy, then you’re focusing on the wrong thing – it’s really only the route map to get you to your destination.  An ideal strategy has enough contingency built in to allow for the inevitable forecasting and course correction.   

…..Plot Twist!

Targets are sacred; strategies are sacrificial.

But Which Right Answer Should I Pick?

Choosing a low or zero carbon technology that is the right fit for your building or estate is tricky.  It used to be that there was one go-to technology option for heating.  You would install a new gas boiler and move on with your life. 

But things have changed and now you are faced with a huge range of options.  You want to make the best investment decision you possibly can, but there is a sea of potential solutions, all promising to be the answer to all of your problems.

So when there are multiple versions of right, how do you cut through all the noise to pick the rightest answer?

What’s going wrong?

We are all familiar with the Netflix Paradox of having so much content available that we scroll endlessly, unable to choose something to watch.  The principle of decisions becoming harder the more choice you have extends beyond your sofa, and also very much applies here.

It’s not just the number of choices available.  The context around each choice is also more complex than ever.  Each available technology solution requires different adaptations to your buildings or energy infrastructure, and navigation of different sets of regulations and standards.

Procurement routes are increasingly in this category, too.  The emergence of new options such as renting out your roofspace, or Energy As A Service contracts help to relieve financial pressures of large investments.  Provided you are eligible.

All of this is wrapped up in significant uncertainty about what energy systems are going to have to deal with in future.  Given the pace of change we are seeing with extreme weather, how do you know that what works for you now will still work for you in another 20 years?  You can’t control the possibility of heatwaves, droughts, or storms.  Can the systems you install now handle that?

But why?

You can’t be an expert in everything.  It’s all moving so fast that it’s impossible to keep track of all the strands of funding, emerging technologies, regulation changes, procurement routes.  But too many of the people you ask for advice have their own opinions or vested interest in promoting a particular solution.

And this is a decision that is going to have long-term consequences.  Not only are you making a decision that is right today, but it has to keep being right in years (decades!) to come.    

Is there another way to think about this?

I would argue that the best way to decide which technology to install is to stop thinking about technologies.  Any option can be made to work from a technical perspective (within reason, obviously), so what else is driving this decision? 

You have three categories to consider.  Any systems you install will have to work for the individual building, but they also have to fit into the wider jigsaw puzzle of the estate.  And buildings and estate are really only there to serve the operation of the organisation.  

Don't optimise one decision in isolation.  What else does this investment mean for your organisation in the long term?  Does it support operational priorities and future plans for estate-wide energy infrastructure? 

A sound technology investment is going to be one that still works for you in ten years and beyond.

…..Plot Twist!

Choosing a technology is not the route to a sound investment decision.

The real value lies in considering how technology can support your building, estate and operations in the long term.

How Will I Know If It’s Working?

We all care about carbon in the context of the climate crisis.  But it’s so abstract, it’s difficult to engage with as a metric.  What if we turned it on its head and looked at carbon savings as a by-product, not the fundamental objective, of our Net Zero strategies?

What’s going wrong?

You set a carbon target, you figure out a strategy to reduce carbon, and then you measure success by calculating savings against the plan.  Nobody could criticise that, right?  It’s the logical way to do it!

But the problem with reporting your carbon savings is that it only tells you about carbon savings.  Nothing else.  And the “else” is that bit that your stakeholders are actually interested in. 

But why?

Carbon is generated across your whole organisation, from every activity in every department.  But conceptually it is difficult to engage with.  People struggle to know what it actually means when you report that you saved 100 tonnes of CO2e last year.  There’s a big “so what?” that doesn’t get answered by conventional carbon reporting[NB1] .

Is there another way to think about this?

Carbon numbers alone do not paint a picture of the success of your actions.  The engaging stories emerge from the outcomes that make people feel better:

• A school that is cooler during heatwaves

• An estate with lower maintenance costs

• Energy bills that are more predictable

• Homes that are free from damp and mould

Tangible outcomes are far more likely to get support and investment than those initiatives that present themselves as just for carbon savings, especially when those outcomes tackle fundamental challenges in the organisation.  Flipping it round means your stakeholders can see the benefits driven by actions that happen to also reduce carbon.  That’s what drives support and makes your net zero strategy more likely to succeed in practice.

If staff are more comfortable, bills are lower, maintenance is easier, resilience is better and the estate is operating more effectively, then something bigger than emissions reduction has happened. 

If it’s working, it should feel like it’s working.

…..Plot Twist!

Forget your carbon numbers for a second.  What are the outcomes you would love to see across your estate?  The ones that would make operations smoother and your people happier?  I mean, I don’t know this, but I would be pretty willing to bet they would also bring down your emissions.

Redefine Success

Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.

The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.

You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.

Small Steps Create Big Shifts

Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.

The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.

You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.

Turn Intention Into Action

Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.

The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.

You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.

Make Room for Growth

Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.

The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.

You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.