Over a third (34%) of large Australian organisations are expected to miss their 2050 net-zero targets
Want to beat the great resignation? Employees demand that HR commits to sustainability.
Over a third (34%) of large Australian organisations are expected to miss their 2050 net-zero targets and that’s not good enough say employees. 60% of employees say that sustainability strategies make an employer more attractive.
But Microsoft’s ‘Accelerating the Journey to Net Zero’ report reveals that while there is an acceptance and even strong desire among Australian organisations for a more sustainable future, there’s a major deficit in delivery.
Just over one in five (22%) Australian businesses are both setting and achieving and, in some cases, exceeding their sustainability goals. One in ten (10%) Australian businesses either haven’t set environmental targets or are making exceptionally poor progress towards their targets.
Most Australian businesses (68%) lie in the area where they have set environmental targets but have been weak at execution and measurement.
Top Challenges for business leaders
- Skills– 40% do not have the in-house expertise and skills to support their sustainability strategies.
- Leadership – 38% lack a clear organisational strategy for sustainability.
- Mindset – 36% struggle to shift organisational culture and embed sustainable thinking.
- Government guidance – 32% cite not having clear government guidance for action as a challenge, but the report points to the need for whole systems thinking, including collaboration between government, commerce, academia, and NGOs to collectively address barriers to net zero.
- Technology– 53% have difficulty accessing the technology they need to support their sustainability initiatives.
According to Brett Shoemaker, Sustainability Director, Microsoft ANZ, “Australian organisations are on board, but off track. Pledges and commitments are a critical first step. But the more significant, long-term impact will come from our ability to overcome the challenges and obstacles that will inevitably arise as we act on those commitments.”
