A trade body representing businesses across the retail and catering sectors has formally confirmed that it has achieved its net zero target, publishing a two-page statement describing the outcome as “ahead of the original projection and slightly ahead of most projections made after that.”
The confirmation follows an eighteen-month review of the body’s emissions measurement methodology, which concluded that the baseline year used to calculate reductions had been set “during a period of unusually high activity” and therefore did not represent a fair starting point for long-term comparison.
Under the revised approach, the reference year has been moved from 2019 to a rolling three-year average that excludes years retrospectively categorised as anomalous under a classification system the review itself developed. Assessed against the adjusted figure, the organisation’s current output sits at or marginally below zero, bringing the target into compliance.
“We said we would reach net zero, and we have,” said a spokesperson for the body. “This is a positive development for the sector and for our members, and we are proud to confirm it formally.”
The result was verified by a working group convened specifically to oversee the declaration. An external verification process was not undertaken, though the group’s final report described independent assessment as “an area of potential future interest, subject to member appetite and resource availability.”
Emissions produced between the start of the current calendar year and the date of the announcement were classified in the report as “transitional ambiguity” — a category the document noted was distinct from conventional emissions, while acknowledging the two were “closely related in most practical operating conditions.”
Members of the body were circulated a briefing on the morning of the announcement, describing it as “a proud milestone for the industry” and confirming they were welcome to display the organisation’s newly approved net zero badge on their premises, invoices, and marketing materials. The badge — a dark green rectangle containing the words Net Zero: Achieved — has not been independently certified. The working group noted that independent certification had not been required under the methodology the working group had developed to determine what certification was required.
A supplementary annex to the report outlined plans for what the body described as a “post-achievement monitoring phase,” during which emissions data will continue to be gathered in a “forward-looking, non-retrospective capacity.” The annex did not specify what would happen if emissions increased during this phase but confirmed that any such increase would be “considered in context and discussed at the appropriate level.”
The body said a summary of the methodology would be made available to any member who submitted a written request, provided the request included a brief statement of the reason for requesting it. A template for the request form is expected to be circulated within the next quarter.
