Ways to reduce your business’s carbon footprint

The need to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions only grows more urgent by the day, so it’s vital that we all look for ways to contribute in line with the global “survival guide” recently published by scientists.

The impact of an organisation like a business is always going to be greater than that of an individual person so, if you run an enterprise and are looking to lead from above on this issue, here are a few ways to make positive changes.

What is a carbon footprint – and how does it relate to businesses?

A carbon footprint is so named for being a record of the total carbon-dioxide emissions made by a person, organisation, action or event. The more carbon dioxide that we put into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change, the bigger our footprint.

In a business context, not only do you have the basic moral imperative to reduce emissions but you also face increasing demand from a customer perspective. People have high expectations from brands in terms of their climate obligation, and you could be left behind if you can’t point to steps that you’re taking to make greener changes.  

Steps that you can take

• Recycle, and buy recycled – Make sure that you’re diligent about waste. Make it as easy as possible for employees to separate recyclable materials from other rubbish, and look for alternative to products that you already buy which themselves are made of recycled materials. Paper is a great example.

• Use sustainable suppliers – Look for locally based suppliers where possible, to reduce the amount of emissions in your supply chain. Ask your suppliers what steps they are taking to promote sustainability, and consider switching if competitors are doing more.

• Consider your travel – If you offer company cars, follow the UK-wide push towards electric vehicles; it’s a change that you’re likely to need to make eventually either way, so you might as well do it sooner rather than later. Additionally, think about whether you or your employees could cut back on the frequency or extent of their travel, whether that be flying internationally or driving long distances. It could be as simple as promoting remote working, reducing emissions from commuting.

• Invest in green energy – Ensuring that your office space is as energy-efficient as possible is a way to promote greener practices while also reducing expenses. Look into switching to energy-efficient lighting for one of the simplest changes possible, while taking steps to fully insulate your roof can prevent the escape of warm air from the building – lessening your heating requirements.

• Offset emissions – Some carbon emissions are impossible to entirely avoid so, for those that you cannot prevent, it’s a good idea to take actions that contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to an equal extent. You could implement a tree-planting scheme, for instance, committing to a certain number of new trees for a proportionate amount of emissions.

It’s on all of us to make improvements in our day-to-day as well as demand the same from organisations even bigger than ourselves. Hopefully, armed with the advice above, you’ll be able to make a difference at your own business.