UK businesses admit confusion on SECR… but help is at hand
Nearly 1 in 3 energy and compliance professionals do not know whether Scope 2 emissions have been calculated for their business as required under Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting rules, according to a series of polls carried out by BiU at their SECR Masterclasses.
The SECR Masterclasses were created this autumn in response to business demand for expert help on the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting rules. The events were held across the UK and were attended by people from a wide variety of sectors: manufacturing, retail, energy, construction, hospitality and more. The focus is on demystifying SECR and giving participants the tools and information they need to meet their carbon reporting responsibilities.
Informal polls carried out at the beginning of the Masterclasses have provided an interesting snapshot of how the business community regards SECR and how prepared it is. We learned that 31% of people couldn’t be sure if their business had done its Scope 2 calculations and a further 44% of business people told BiU that they definitely hadn’t done their Scope 2 sums. That leaves just 25% of businesses who were confident of meeting the requirements before coming to a SECR Masterclass.
Uncertainty and opportunity
Another area where participants welcomed advice was the question of whether it is possible to exclude certain information from your energy and carbon reporting. 56% of Masterclass attendees were unsure about this and benefited greatly from situation-specific advice on the topic.
Some of the comments from participants before the Masterclasses echoed the sense of confusion in the UK business community, describing SECR as “unclear”, “complicated” and “mystifying”. One participant simply commented: “Not a clue.” Others seemed weary of the ever-changing energy and carbon reporting legislative landscape, with comments such as “More energy admin,” “Why replace CRC?” and “More reporting to do.” These participants benefited greatly from the clear-cut, practical explanation of how SECR works and how it can be used as a springboard for financial and carbon savings.
A substantial number of people at the Masterclasses took an upbeat view on SECR, pointing to the opportunities for their business to save money and reduce its carbon impact. They saw the SECR Masterclasses as a chance to gain the knowledge they need to explore the full savings potential of SECR.
Whatever your attitude, the concern is that businesses who don’t access expert advice will be underprepared for their SECR responsibilities. For example, 85% of participants reported that the SECR Masterclass advice on intensity ratios was their first introduction to the topic.
Of course the Masterclasss polls don’t represent a large-scale survey, but they do give a snapshot of how SECR is perceived in the UK business community and how ready businesses are for it. The popularity of the Masterclasses since they launched this autumn is another indicator that UK businesses are ready to reach out for expert help in fulfilling their SECR duties.
Don’t miss out on the next set of masterclass events which will take place during the spring of 2020.
If you would like help demystifying SECR, get in touch on 01253 785409 or email energy-hub@biu.com.
