Existing businesses aren’t able to become net zero
There’s a common misconception that existing businesses can’t become net zero, however this is completely false! For the Government to achieve its targets, all businesses, no matter their size or age, will have to contribute their part of achieving net zero carbon emissions.
A survey carried out by BT found that 99% of small businesses in the UK recognise the importance of sustainability, but around three quarters of them are unsure of how to measure their carbon emissions. Below we’ve outlined some steps on how to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
• Monitor consumption: this includes fuel consumption, through company vehicles, and energy consumption, including business electricity and gas.
• Calculate indirect emissions: business activities, such as employees commuting, purchasing of goods or disposal of waste, will contribute to the overall emissions produced by a company. Keeping an eye on these and thinking of ways to reduce this will certainly help improve your business’ green credentials.
• Setting targets: once you’ve established the volume of carbon emissions, then you can start setting targets. This could be a percentage on how much you want them to reduce emissions by, or even a target of how many employees commute using public transport one day a week.
Renewable energy tariffs mean you’re net zero carbon
Using a renewable or green energy tariff is brilliant, however it doesn’t mean that you have net zero carbon emissions. While they do have important environmental benefits, none will lead to reducing greenhouse gases. Some renewable energy tariffs aren’t always what they appear to be, with some companies buying cheap certificates to match their customers’ energy use and making their fuel mix disclosure appear greener than it is. If you want to source your energy from green providers, but you’re unsure of how to navigate the market, then why not use a business energy broker, like us, to help you find the best green energy tariff deals?
Working from home lowers a company’s carbon footprint
It’s a common misconception that going digital means going greener. The digital footprint left behind from sending emails, running video calls and storing data can all have a big impact on the environment. If your employees are working from home, then this is something to factor into your indirect emissions, mentioned earlier. To reduce your employees’ carbon footprint, you could set targets, such as asking everyone to switch off computers, rather than leaving them on stand-by.
Offsetting is expensive
To become a net zero business, there is the common thought that this will cost a substantial amount of money. However, if anything, reducing carbon emissions will actually save companies money. This is because you’re proactively decreasing the amount of energy used or finding innovative ways to use the same amount of electricity but from sustainable sources. Becoming a net zero business can be done in a smart way to be more resilient in the long term, more resource efficient and more cost effective.
My business is too small to offset
Any business, whether they have thousands of employees or only three, can play their part in fighting climate change. The UK Government has pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, but some companies have even more ambitious targets with a 2030 deadline. To ensure that the climate crisis doesn’t reach a point of no return, everyone needs to strive to achieve net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible.
There are some basic steps to becoming a net zero business including:
- Recycling more
- Reducing waste
- Using electricity from renewable sources
- Encouraging employees to use public transport
- Cutting down on packaging
- Making your supply chain greener
If you make it company policy to become a net zero business, then you’re holding yourself and everyone involved in the business accountable for reducing your carbon footprint.
Looking to reduce your business utility bills and use green providers? Talk to one of our friendly experts today and see how much you could save with us.
