We sat down with Arne de Vet, Board Member of Chapter Zero Brussels to discuss a new resource that he helped create called "Code Zero" - a 10+1 point code for Board Directors to guide their companies towards a low carbon and sustainable future. Code Zero is available for download here, or via our knowledge hub that contains additional resources and inspiration for Board Members.
Here is a recap of our conversation with Arne, where he explains what Code Zero is and how it is useful for Board Members.
Chapter Zero: What was the motivation behind creating Code Zero?
Arne de Vet: Board members are overwhelmed with webinars, trainings and long reports about sustainability. Across all of these, there are many hints at what the board should do, but I could not find a concise and practical guide for what the board needs to do. To answer this, I created a one page checklist that boards can use and called it Code Zero. We then worked with our community of experts and advisory board to refine and perfect the checklist.
Chapter Zero: What are some of the surprising elements of Code Zero?
Arne de Vet: Well, first of all let me say that surprise is not a measure of quality. Code Zero should not be too surprising, given that it is a synthesis of all the good webinars and material you see out there. For example, it includes using a challenging internal carbon price, to take into account the externality cost that society is increasingly expecting business to pay for. This is also an element in CSRD, but only very few companies have already adopted this.
Another example. Code Zero is a 10 (+1) point checklist. The +1 refers to the fact that not just the company, but also the board itself needs to act sustainably. The board needs to adapt its travel, accommodations and catering. Perhaps this is surprising, but it should not be.
Chapter Zero: What is behind the name, why is it called Code Zero?
Arne de Vet: It is a Code for boards, much like the Code Buysse in Belgium, but it's focused on climate and sustainability. The Zero is a wink to the name of our association. Code Zero happens to also be the name for a high performance sail, a zero-emissions way to make good progress upwind. A nice analogy. Boards also need to make progress, sometimes upwind.
Chapter Zero: Practically, how can boards use Code Zero?
Arne de Vet: Once a year, a board can assess itself on the checklist. It's just one page, with 10 (+1) points, it does not need an online survey. You can go through it together in 30 minutes, take stock of where you are, decide how many of the points you want to have ticked in 3 years, and choose 1-3 points on which you want to make a step change in the coming year.
Chapter Zero: For individual board members, what's your call to action?
Arne de Vet: Use Code Zero to do a quick assessment for one of your boards and imagine what could be focus points for the board in the coming year. Then share it with one other board member and ask advice on whether this could be something useful for that board.
