CIWM is committed to the resources and waste sector’s critical journey towards Net Zero and fundamentally believes that “Effective waste prevention as part of a functioning circular economy will be essential to support the UK’s climate objectives.”

CIWM’s strategy recognises the unique and wider role that we, as the sectors’ professional body, can play in supporting the behaviours, skills and knowledge required to drive positive change across the whole gamut of actors involved in designing, producing, using and reusing products and resources, as we enable our industry to transition into one that embraces and supports circular business models, whilst recognising the crucial role that sustainable waste management practices will continue to play.

CIWM believes that, by shepherding valuable resources back into the mainstream economy and fully embracing circular business models, our sector is uniquely placed to help deliver some of the changes that society needs to make in order to mitigate climate change.

CIWM’s Net Zero Roadmap







CIWM’s Net Zero Roadmap includes a 2019 calculation of the organisation’s baseline carbon emissions. This provides a recent picture of emissions, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, that reflects a more typical level of activity. The baseline for CIWM and WAMITAB was set at 2,315 tonnes Carbon Dioxide equivalent, with 95.8% of the emissions classified as Scope 3 (such as those associated with our investments and supply chains).  

The roadmap also identifies the key areas that will be addressed to decarbonise and reduce emissions across scopes 1, 2 and 3. This Net Zero Pathway includes reducing emissions resulting from investments by 100%; decarbonising the delivery of events and training services, with 90% of training to be online; and optimising business travel, cutting car journeys by 90% and only utilising air travel where it is unavoidable.

CIWM is also a signatory to the Pledge to Net Zero and the Professional Bodies Climate Action Charter .


 

CIWM's Climate Emergency SEG

To help mobilise the resources and waste sector on its journey to net zero, CIWM has announced the formation of a new Climate Emergency Strategic Expert Group (SEG) to oversee and guide its work in this area.

The Strategic Expert Group will be led by CIWM’s Chair of General Council, Liz Parkes. The Climate Emergency SEG will cover the waste and resources sector’s role in preventing climate change (mitigation - with a goal of net zero) as well as the need for the sector to be better prepared for climate impacts (adaptation). Members are being invited to join the SEG and form a network of climate champions in order to drive change.

Discover more about our Strategic Expert Groups here

2020-22 Net Zero Progress Report

In recognition of 2023 World Environment Day, we published an update to our Net Zero roadmap. You can view and download our 2020-22 Net Zero Progress Report here

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