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CAFA Tracker: Navigating Climate Action Within Membership Organisations

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The urgency surrounding business climate action is undeniable. As industries grapple with their roles and responsibilities in addressing the climate crisis, membership organisations emerge as pivotal players.

 

Climate Action for Associations (CAFA), supported by The Trade Association Forum (TAF), have launched the CAFA Tracker to highlight the sustainability and net zero actions being taken by membership organisations and barriers and challenges they face.

 

Snapshot of findings:

 

Leadership and Commitment

  • 39% of trade associations report that their C-Suite or Senior Management Team is leading their sustainability and climate action initiatives. This top-level commitment is crucial for driving effective sustainability strategies.

  • Just under half of the membership organisations are implementing sustainability solutions, though often without clear definitions, policies or plans.

 

Internal Association Actions

  • Membership organisations are adopting various measures internally such as hybrid working, virtual events, and sustainable procurement practices. However, only 15% are measuring these or have formal net zero plans and targets in place.

 

Member Facing Action

  • 79% of organisations focus on ‘encouraging’ rather than asking climate action among their members, with many providing resources and support through webinars, podcasts, and tailored guidance.

 

Barriers to Progress

  • The primary hurdles to action include a lack of time, business incentives, money, and skills. Additionally, many associations face uncertainty about what actions to take and how to communicate them effectively, leading to 'green-hushing'—the reluctance to disclose any sustainability efforts at all due to fear of criticism, fence sitting or inadequate progress.

 

Sector Impact Understanding

  • Only half of the membership organisations have data on the environmental impact of their sector or profession. This lack of information hinders the ability to provide relevant support and lead sector-wide change effectively.

 

What Are Membership Organisations Doing?

  • Many organisations have introduced flexible working arrangements, reducing commuting emissions and operational costs.

  • The shift to virtual and hybrid events has significantly reduced the environmental footprint of conferences and meetings.

 

The survey highlights the pivotal role of membership organisations leading joined-up business and industry net zero action.

 

Despite a gap between intentions and tangible actions, the potential for positive impact by membership organisations is significant.

 

Read the full CAFA Net Zero Tracker report here.


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About Climate Action for Associations (CAFA)

Climate Action for Associations (CAFA), is the only resource and network dedicated to sustainability and net zero for the membership sector. CAFA offers information, guidance, solutions and peer-to-peer network that trade associations, professional bodies and all other types of membership organisation need to accelerate climate action. As an Accelerator for the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign, CAFA calls on all associations to make strong and credible science-based climate commitments, and to take immediate action towards net zero emissions internally and with their members.


CAFA’s principles and Best Practice Framework is tailored specifically for associations, and our goal it to ensure that all membership associations are equipped to accelerate climate action internally and to proactively support the businesses, industries, and professions that they represent to do the same.


Regardless of location, sector or size, the opportunity exists for every membership organisation to play their part. Together we can create an inclusive net zero economy, build resilient communities and limit global heating to 1.5°C.


Find out more here.


About Trade Association Forum

The Trade Association Forum (TAF) is the leading representative body for associations in the UK. As the UK’s ‘association of associations’, representing a community of 180 trade associations our mission is to encourage the development and sharing of best practice among UK trade associations and promote the role of associations to government, industry and the wider public.


TAF's 180 association members represent c.190,000 UK businesses, making TAF one of the largest representative bodies in the country.  This enables us to work closely with the UK Government, as well as a huge range of partners to help associations to engage, improve and lead their sectors. Membership of TAF is open to any trade association based in the UK.


Whether helping associations share best practice, or helping our members help their members transition to net zero, TAF is at the heart of the UK association community, working every day to support our sector.


Find out more here.

 


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