By
Chief Marketing Officer
Edited: 11 Sept 2025
10 min read
Our 3Rs framework empowers your business to lead with credibility, confidence, and impact.
Watch our video explainer below, and keep reading to dive deeper into the methodology.
3Rs explainer video
Corporate climate action and the urgency of net-zero
The urgency of net-zero action
In the past five years, observed global warming has increased faster than many climate model projections. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) now warns that without immediate and sustained global reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the 1.5°C target enshrined in the Paris Agreement will likely be breached within the decade.
“The corporate sector is both a significant contributor to global emissions and a powerful engine for change and as such, private sector engagement is critical to any credible pathway toward net-zero. Sustainability functions are moving from the margins to the mainstream, with climate considerations increasingly integrated into corporate strategy, investment decisions, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate momentum is building - sustainability is no longer a peripheral concern but a strategic imperative. “ Dimitri Theocharis, Ecologi CEO
The business case for sustainability
According to our recent Climate Commitments Survey, among 1,400 UK businesses 57% of organisations plan to increase their investment in sustainability over the next five years, 72% have already set targets, and 80% agree that sustainability is now embedded in their core business strategy. The motivations are clear and increasingly business-focused: Driving growth and new market opportunities (28%), Protecting brand reputation (26%) Attracting/retaining customers (23%).
This strategic importance is further evidenced by the 72% of businesses that have set sustainability targets (a 9% YoY increase) and the tangible benefits they report, including: Improved brand image (43%), Increased productivity/innovation (40%), Attracting more eco-conscious customers (39%), Employee loyalty and/or motivation (35%) and importantly Increased revenue or market share (33%, an 11% YoY jump).
Climate action is becoming a hallmark of resilient, forward-thinking organisations that are starting to reap the business benefits.
Addressing the complexity of climate action
However, this growing ambition has not yet fully translated into the level of action required to meet global goals. For many businesses, particularly SMEs, report confusion around evolving regulatory requirements and best practice standards. The proliferation of frameworks, tools, and verification schemes – while welcome – has also created complexity, making it difficult for companies to determine where to begin or what "good" looks like in practice. For many businesses, particularly the pathway to meaningful climate action and eventually climate leadership in their sector or industry can still feel inaccessible.
Barriers to credible climate strategies
Even those with the will to act, frequently report being unsure where to begin or how to prioritise action in a credible, cost-effective, and operationally feasible manner. The result is that even well-intentioned businesses are now faced with a fragmented and, at times, contradictory landscape – leading to confusion, hesitation, and under-delivery.
It is in recognition of and response to these barriers that Ecologi has developed our 3Rs Framework; Reduce, Restore, Report.
The 3Rs climate journey
The 3Rs offers a simplified, pragmatised and integrated model that is grounded in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and informed by Oxford Net Zero. The framework provides organisations with a format that that everyone within a business – from senior leadership to operational teams – can understand the essential three elements of climate action.
Reduce your emissions
Managing and reducing your emissions is the first foundational step in your climate journey, delivering immediate cost savings while positioning your business competitively for the low-carbon economy.
Measure your scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions with our robust framework, including pragmatic solutions for scope 3 and industry-endorsed GHG-aligned protocols for select sectors.
Set short-term and long-term emissions reduction targets aligned with the SBTi.
Act on reduction strategies to deliver measurable progress toward your targets.
Restore our planet
Funding credible climate action as you reduce your emissions is critical for mitigating both the environmental and social impact of business operations, whilst building brand reputation and meeting growing stakeholder expectations.
Develop a science-based carbon price and a multi-year Oxford Principles portfolio strategy aligned to your operational decarbonisation plan that:
Compensates for unavoidable emissions by funding verified carbon avoidance and high durability removal credits for hard-to-abate scope 3 categories.
Contributes to global climate goals beyond your value chain by funding nature-based restoration projects.
Report your progress
Transparent climate reporting is essential, driven by stakeholder demands for credible progress that reduces reputational risk and protects your brand against greenwashing claims. Businesses should not only disclose their climate impacts, strategies but also advocate for accelerated action.
State your GHG inventory and reduction plans in accordance with supply chain and regulatory compliance requirements such as PPN 06/21, SECR, SBTi, B Corp.
Communicate your story and climate impact to stakeholders to maximise the value of your climate impact.
Climate leadership starts here
At Ecologi, we lead on climate, so you can lead in business. By translating complexity into clarity and embedding progress into the design, the Ecologi 3Rs framework approach empowers businesses on their climate journey to act confidently with clear guidance to:
Invest responsibly in both reducing emissions and restoring our planet by funding high quality climate projects.
Report progress transparently in alignment with global guidelines and be recognised for doing so.
Realise the business and commercial benefits that a climate strategy and plan can deliver.
We’ve supported over 24,000 businesses on their climate journey helping them to navigate the complexities of a climate strategy with a focus on long-term impact and return on investment. If you're ready to embed the 3Rs Framework into your operations, schedule a call with our team to explore how we can support your business wherever you are on your climate journey.