Britain's businesses 'shelve Net Zero plans because they simply can't afford them'

Businesses across Britain are putting their Net Zero plans on hold because they simply cannot afford them, new research suggests.

A poll shared exclusively with GB News found that three quarters of workers believe rising costs are forcing firms to delay or scale back plans to cut energy use, water consumption and carbon emissions.

The findings come as ministers press ahead with ambitious climate targets while businesses continue to grapple with high energy bills, rising wages and mounting operating costs.

The figures, based on a survey of 2,156 UK adults, found that 75 per cent of people believe rising costs are preventing firms from making progress on environmental goals even where they want to improve sustainability.

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The research also suggests growing scepticism about whether many businesses will be able to meet their public Net Zero commitments.

Almost half of workers - 47 per cent - said they do not believe their employer will meet its Net Zero targets given current economic pressures.

Meanwhile, 45 per cent said there was a gap between their employer's public sustainability commitments and what was actually being delivered inside the business.

Nearly two thirds - 65 per cent - said Net Zero had become more of a reporting exercise than a practical business priority.

And 62 per cent said businesses would take Net Zero more seriously if it delivered a clearer financial benefit.

The findings highlight growing concern that Britain's drive towards Net Zero is colliding with the economic reality facing many firms.

While many businesses remain committed to reducing emissions, bosses increasingly face difficult choices over where to invest limited resources.

Manufacturers have repeatedly warned that Britain's industrial energy prices are among the highest in the developed world.

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According to industry figures, 65 per cent of manufacturers say energy costs are reducing their ability to compete.

The hospitality sector faces annual energy costs of more than £1.3billion, while farmers continue to absorb rising input costs including a £782million increase in fertiliser spending in England.

Simon Turek, the chief executive of Haydale, the holding company of SaveMoneyCutCarbon, said businesses still wanted to make progress but needed measures that improved competitiveness as well as reducing emissions.

He said: "Businesses aren't rejecting sustainability. They're prioritising survival."

Mr Turek said firms were increasingly looking for projects that delivered measurable savings rather than expensive schemes with long payback periods.

"Net Zero only gets signed off when it also cuts costs," he said.

The findings come as ministers prepare to implement the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee's Seventh Carbon Budget, which sets out a pathway for Britain to reach legally binding climate targets over the coming decades.

Supporters argue that investment in energy efficiency and cleaner technologies will ultimately reduce costs and strengthen Britain's energy security.

Critics, however, warn that excessive costs risk damaging competitiveness, discouraging investment and pushing economic activity overseas.

The poll suggests many workers believe that tension is already being felt inside British businesses.

More than four in ten workers - 43 per cent - said sustainability initiatives in their workplace were regularly delayed or deprioritised because of budget pressures.

A further 41 per cent said their workplace operated with no clear structure or guidance on sustainability measures.

Mr Turek said the challenge for policymakers was ensuring environmental goals could be delivered in a way that strengthened rather than weakened British businesses.

He said the debate was no longer about whether companies supported Net Zero in principle.

Instead, he argued, the question had become whether businesses could afford to deliver it."The conversation has shifted from reporting targets to delivering outcomes," he said."If businesses can't make the economics work, progress slows."

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