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According to the latest status report by the TCFD, no organization is doing a stellar job of reporting.
Reporting without a management system with clear actions is “recycled insanity, while expecting better results”, with apologies to Einstein.

As no one company, community, or country will be able to solve climate change on their own, collaboration is critical.
“Are You Climate Ready? can reduce the cost for those who collaborate.
How?

“Are You Climate Ready?” offers a systems approach with four key elements that enables organizations to:

  • enable their employees to understand their personal exposure to chronic and acute climate risk, and how this can create positive spillover to enhance their corporate climate readiness (AYCR 1)
  • leverage the value of a robust, credible and reliable environmental management system (EMS) to accelerate action to reduce or sequester carbon, and report using the Task Force of Climate-related Financial Disclosures (AYCR 2)
  • connect environmental and business objectives to opportunities to meet targets that are outlined in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with proven solutions offered by Project Drawdown to enhance the interactions needed to improve (AYCR 3)
  • learn from and collaborate with others who are committed to meet ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) expectations, the Paris Agreement and achieve a Net Zero Economy (AYCR 4)

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Who should use “Are You Climate Ready?”

While there are many good reasons to subscribe, here are a few that could apply to any organization.

We need to collaborate to accelerate climate action. This is an urgent, critical time-dated global emergency. If you are unaware of this fact …

  • how will you expect to meet the growing demands of your employees for climate action?
  • how will you be able to demonstrate that your organization is managing its relationship with the environment effectively?
  • how will you be able to provide the financial community with assurance that you have credible data to address their ESG concerns?
  • and if you don’t, why should they invest, loan or insure you?

If a company is in a country that has already mandated reporting that uses the TCFD, AYCR can help you improve your external reporting.

It is important to remember that as AYCR addresses a systems approach, the value proposition offers more than just one thing.

AYCR 1 – Addresses personal climate readiness

While there are longer term and less noticeable changes, what tends to get people’s attention, too late, are acute events, such as extreme weather or natural disaster.

AYCR 1 includes a set of twenty questions that was designed to help people:

  • develop a better understanding of the need to be climate ready on a personal level.
  • build greater confidence to adapt to changes in the environment.
  • evolve their own understanding of whether or not they are climate ready.
  • track insights from to drive behaviour change that promote climate action.

Utility for the Subscriber: “Are You Climate Ready?” can influence better decision making in a professional context.

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AYCR 2, for some Subscribers, is the heart of “Are You Climate Ready?”.

Dr. Mathew Kiernan, one of our external reviewers, said:

“As someone who’s been in the carbon finance/investment world for over 30 years, I find this new matrix to be impressively well thought out and comprehensive. It expands upon and provides an even more detailed roadmap than the TCFD recommendations themselves, and will create useful, practical, and ambitious targets for companies.”

AYCR 2:

  • captures evidence from a robust, credible and reliable Environmental Management System (EMS).
  • aligns it with the eleven recommendations stated in the Task Force for Climate- related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
  • includes additional questions to address issues raised by the international accounting and law professions.

An EMS is a value added to those organizations that want or are required to report against the TCFD

Increasing the amount of reliable information on climate-related risks and opportunities in any sector will strengthen the stability of the financial system, contribute to greater understanding of climate risks and facilitate financing the transition to a more stable and sustainable economy.

There are 125 questions that are divided between top management and corporate directors.

Understandably, corporate directors will ask top management to provide answers, and top management will ask their EMS professionals to provide the answers and report back. This follows a process already in an EMS.

Each question is linked to primary and, when appropriate, secondary sources of objective evidence in an EMS. Sources reference the clause(s) in the international standard, ISO 14001. While the standard offers a common framework for collaboration, every EMS is as unique as a thumbprint. Referencing the standard simplifies the feedback process and enables better analysis of the common strengths and challenges that Subscribers are facing.

Value to the Subscriber: A robust, credible, and reliable environmental management system (EMS) provides an organization with objective evidence that can demonstrate competency in how it is managing climate risk, as well as other environmental issues. An EMS also investigates opportunity. We think the fact that there is opportunity, not only in having an EMS, but the objective evidence will help organizations understand where investments in real green products and services can improve their productivity, profitability, and prosperity, which has spin off benefits.

Value to the Market: It’s not only financial institutions that benefit from AYCR 2; every organization has a carbon footprint. So the more organizations that follow a consistent systems approach using an accepted international standard to manage risks and opportunities, the better the odds of success.

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AYCR 3 Links EMS objectives to SDG targets and solutions offered by Project Drawdown

In atmospheric terms, drawdown is that point in time at which greenhouse gases peak and begin to decline on a year-to year basis.

AYCR 3 builds on the business and environmental objectives established in an EMS. It links these to opportunities to reduce or sequester carbon.

AYCR 3:

  • enables an organization to build on its EMS objectives
  • links to its priorities based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals at the target level.
  • connects these priorities to solutions that have been researched and published by Project Drawdown, drawdown.org.
  • enables the Subscriber to initiate the practical steps to budget for solutions that may be innovative for the organization
  • presents opportunities for green finance options, such as climate bonds or green loans.

Project Drawdown offers over eighty technology solutions to reduce greenhouse gases by reducing or sequestering carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere.

Opportunity for the Subscriber: AYCR 3 provides Subscribers the opportunity to assess solutions that are relevant to their organization. By connecting solutions to drawdown and SDG targets, the Subscriber can enhance their decisions and accelerate actions to meet Net Zero and other commitments.

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AYCR 4 offers feedback, providing Subscribers with insights on the progress of other organizations through collaboration

Subscribers share specific data from the AYCR 1, 2 and 3. Data is anonymized, aggregated and then analyzed to:

  • discover where strengths and weaknesses occur
  • discern patterns and trends to enable improvements
  • identify risks and opportunities

AYCR 4 will be available after the first wave of data is received. Subsequent reports will share progress with Subscribers periodically.

Subscribers are also provided with periodic insights on developments pertaining to international standards that may affect their EMS.

Benefit for the Subscriber: The purpose of sharing of data is to accelerate action and improve a systems approach through collaboration.

Occasionally, highlights will also be shared in important social, industry and mainstream media outlets. Only Subscribers will receive the deep insights. This is a benefit of collaboration.

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