Businesses are being urged to take part in a major new census tracking the private sector’s progress towards the UK’s 2050 net zero target. The national research initiative, backed by the Government, large corporates and business groups, will act as a definitive benchmark to help inform policy and drive change, according to its organisers. The UK Business Climate Hub and sustainability certifiers Planet Mark said the aim is to gather the data every year to monitor the proportion of businesses taking action. The inaugural census, launched on Wednesday, asks businesses 10 simple multiple-choice questions on target setting, measuring carbon footprints and net zero priorities. The organisers are urging as many firms as possible to provide data regardless of what progress they have made. Edward Lockhart, from the Broadway Initiative which manages the UK Business Climate Hub, said the census will “give Government, business leaders and the financial community a richer dataset than we’ve ever had before to take stock of progress and what more needs to be done”. Andrew Griffiths, Planet Mark’s director of policy and partnerships, said the census is distinct from other net zero business surveys because of its partners. The British Chambers of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry,...