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Net zero and the pivot senior leaders can’t ignore
There was a clear consensus among leaders at our latest Net Zero Navigator breakfast briefing – and the outlook was positive.
‘The Net Zero Pivot: From Purpose to Value’ event established that for the most successful organisations there’s been a step-change – net zero is no longer an environmental goal, but a critical economic opportunity.
“Decarbonisation is increasingly viewed as an economic and business imperative – not just a climate ambition.”
Shift in conversation
The session built on the content of the Net Zero Navigator 2026 and was kicked off by Mitie’s Managing Director, Projects, Mark Caskey.
Welcoming guests from a range of sectors to our headquarters in The Shard, Mark underlined the net zero pivot’s significance for organisation strategy.
He said: “What’s interesting is how the conversation has shifted. Decarbonisation is increasingly viewed as an economic and business imperative – not just a climate ambition. Energy resilience, operational compliance and long-term cost stability are now driving investment decisions just as much as environmental commitments.”
Decarbonisation’s execution problem
The keynote speaker, CEO of the Green Finance Institute, Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas OBE, delivered an insightful speech about an essential change in approach to net zero. This comes as UK organisations grapple with the commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 68% by 2030.
Dr Thomas said: “The climate finance gap is not the problem of ambition. It’s a problem of execution. For more than a decade there’s been this emphasis on setting targets, commitments, high level strategy. All that work really mattered, but it has taken us as far as it can. In my view what’s going to determine success in the next phase is not what organisations promise, but what they can actually deliver.”
Transition is commercial
During the briefing, a number of speakers acknowledged growing scepticism and negativity towards net zero.
Yet Dr Thomas pointed to Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s recent figures showing global investment in energy transition reached a record $2.3 trillion – an increase of 8% year-over-year.
She said: “This tells us something really important. The transition is resilient because it is increasingly commercial…So the message from the capital markets is pretty clear. Capital does not fund ambition. It funds execution certainty.”
In conclusion, Dr Thomas rallied organisations to continue their decarbonisation plans, despite any noise and negativity.
“Net zero is now a performance issue, not a reputational one.”
She said: “This isn’t about virtue. This is about long-term viability. The transition is happening. The capital is moving. The economics are real. What matters now is who is ready to move from transactions to transitions. Those who focus on delivery, not just declarations. Those who are building pipelines, not just strategies. And those who understand that net zero is now a performance issue, not a reputational one.”
The next item brought a change of pace, with Mitie’s own subject matter experts deep-diving into the five key themes of the Net Zero Navigator.
Compliance
First up was Mitie’s Director, Head of Plan Zero Consulting, Parth Mehta, who continued the general theme of the event by highlighting the business sense of compliance.
Parth said: “A typical London property with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of B has a 15% rental premium compared to a property with an EPC rating of E. This premium is likely to go up if EPC legislation is tightened, so there’s a big opportunity.”
Energy
Next our Head of Projects Centre of Excellence, Jeremy Powell, addressed a key development in the UK sustainable energy sector: on-site battery storage. He said: “This is becoming one of the most attractive upgrades for commercial and industrial property portfolios across the UK.” The reason? It offers a solution to rising peak time electricity costs and increasing grid volatility.
Strategy
Managing Director, Consulting and Energy Solutions, Alex Avila, highlighted a notable change in sustainability strategy. He said: “Net zero momentum is not slowing down. It’s evolving into a disciplined, value-creating business strategy.” Alex emphasised the business case for decarbonisation. He said: “Strategy is not slowing down. It’s getting sharper, more focused and, I would say, more commercially grounded…Net zero is not slowing – it’s actually paying back.”
Legislation and funding
Head of Net Zero Estates and Infrastructure, James Spires, encouraged organisations to be pro-active about legislative requirements to increase the chance of funding. He said: “Don’t adopt a fragmented and siloed approach to decarbonisation initiatives. Proactivity and de-risking projects before approaching funding solutions attracts the most beneficial rates of funding.”
Water
Director of Managed Water Services, Geoff Smith, concluded the section with his reflections on water sustainability. He said: “Water has rapidly shifted from a background utility to a critical part of the net zero agenda…Water is the next net zero frontier. It’s moving from a cost centre to a value lever.”
Following networking and a coffee break, attendees gathered for a panel discussion moderated by Alex Avila: ‘The net zero payback: How organisations turn green ambition into commercial value.’
The contributors were Partnership and Advocacy Director, Future Food Movement, Kate Cawley; Mitie Strategic Advisor: Defence, Richard Clements CBE; Mitie Head of Sustainability Services, Vicki Lintern; and COO, Zestec Renewable Energy, Toby Smith.
Not just about carbon
The conversation showed that while organisations’ green ambition remains strong, progress is not as swift as some leaders would like.
Kate Cawley’s analysis prompted audible approval in the room.
“They’re framing net zero now as business resilience, energy security costs, volatility, talent and reputation is a really key lever to pull as well. So it’s not just about carbon.”
She said: “The successful businesses are building shared literacy across all the different functions, whether it’s finances, their estates, procurement, crucially the exec from a permission perspective. So that decisions are collective and they’re not siloed…they’re framing net zero now as business resilience, energy security costs, volatility, talent and reputation is a really key lever to pull as well. So it’s not just about carbon.”
Don’t wait around
Questions were then opened to the floor, prompting an informative discussion; the ongoing challenge of heat decarbonisation proved particularly topical.
Finally, Mark Caskey returned to give his closing remarks.
He said: “Political uncertainty is going to continue for the short to medium terms. But the organisations that win will be the ones that don’t wait around for that uncertainty to end. They build strong business cases, leveraging the data and insights in pursuit of your broader organisational objectives. And we’re all in the room today – and I think it was a really positive conversation.”
The morning closed with a shared sense of confidence that organisations who act decisively now will be best positioned to turn climate ambition into commercial value.
Watch on demand to recap net zero insights
To access the full recording of the event, just fill in the form below.
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