Net zero in grounds maintenance isn’t just about swapping petrol mowers for electric ones. It’s about understanding the work being done, where it’s happening, and what impact it’s having. Without that visibility, carbon strategies remain policy statements rather than everyday practice.
Why this matters now
Local authorities and contractors are under growing pressure to cut emissions while keeping parks, verges and trees properly maintained. Many contracts now include low or zero emission targets. Delivering against them at scale requires more than good intentions. It relies on accurate asset data and operational insight.
Where the emissions come from
In grounds operations, the biggest carbon contributors are fleet and equipment use, unnecessary mileage, and tasks carried out more often than they need to be. If you can’t measure these, you can’t improve them. And if measurement is limited to fuel receipts, the larger opportunities are missed, such as smarter routing, adjusting frequencies according to risk, or identifying the right activities to shift to battery or electric first.
The data gap
Traditional reporting methods, through timesheets, paper maps or monthly summaries, weren’t built with carbon measurement in mind. They record what was done, but not whether it was the most efficient or lowest carbon way of doing it. For many authorities, incomplete inventories and limited activity detail still make it difficult to plan effectively, monitor outcomes or evidence the impact of carbon reduction efforts.
What smarter asset management looks like
Smarter asset management isn’t about complexity; it’s about joining the dots:
Up to date inventories – connected maps combining trees, grass areas, hedges and SuDS features, so resources can be matched to actual need.
Live activity capture – crews linking tasks directly to mapped assets, building a transparent picture of work done.
Carbon alongside cost – activity data tied to equipment type and mileage, so emissions can be seen next to operational performance.
Need based scheduling – routes and frequencies guided by growth rates, risk and seasonality, reducing mileage and unnecessary repeat visits.
When authorities and contractors work from the same data, planning becomes collaborative, delivery more efficient and carbon reporting credible. Net zero stops being an aspiration and becomes part of day-to-day decision making.
The way forward
The task now is to embed carbon into the same asset management systems that are already driving efficiency and resilience. Net zero isn’t a separate agenda. It is the next step in how the sector manages their assets in a changing climate.