How CAN my business reduce its carbon footprint?

To combat climate change we must all take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For businesses, decarbonisation should be a top priority as it looks to meet its ethical and regulatory requirements. Reducing your organisation’s carbon footprint also makes good business sense as it can lead to cost reductions by reducing your energy consumption as well as reductions in your GHG emission. 

 Despite all the noise about Net Zero and decarbonisation, many businesses are still not sure where to start. At Wylde Connections we work with companies large and small helping them to develop holistic sustainability strategies and supporting their carbon reduction pathways to drive efficiencies in their drive to Net Zero.

The World Meteorological Organization predicts that If we fail to address anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the global temperature will increase by between 3 and 5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. The race is therefore on to combat climate change and businesses have a key role to play in helping the UK meet its Net Zero target.

For business, decarbonisation is not only about improving ESG credentials, it’s a matter of survival. We have already seen the impacts of a heating planet and the devastation that extreme weather events can cause. Disrupted supply chains and resource scarcity are going to become a regular feature of every company’s risk mitigation. So there really is no time to waste in finding ways to reduce your carbon footprint. 

There is an upside. By decarbonising your business, you will benefit from increased resilience, achieving compliance objectives as well as reducing costs and gaining a competitive advantage.

Raise awareness and make a pledge

The first step on your decarbonisation journey should be to educate your company’s senior leaders as well as stakeholders, including staff, on the importance of reducing your carbon footprint. You will need everyone on board if you are to enjoy the full benefits of sustainable practice. 

As part of this process, be clear about educating your workforce, your supply chain and other key stakeholders about the social as well as the environmental benefits of taking action. You can demonstrate your commitment by signing a pledge. The United Nations (UN) is encouraging businesses to join its Race to Zero campaign and commit to halve global emissions by 2030. Since June 2020, more than 14,000 members have joined the campaign and are committed to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement and science-aligned criteria.

Calculate carbon footprint and emissions

Measuring emissions and calculating your carbon footprint can seem a daunting task, particularly for small businesses with limited resources. Start by identifying what you need to measure and the scope of the exercise. Check what reporting requirements you need to meet and take time to understand the three scopes:

Scope 1 – Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources.

Scope 2 – Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy.

Scope 3 – Indirect emissions not included in scope 2 that occur in your value chain, including upstream and downstream emissions.

By measuring all scopes, businesses can gain valuable insight to see where the emission hotspots are in their value chain, identify resource and energy risks and highlight energy efficiency and cost reduction opportunities.

There are various carbon calculator tools available to help you measure your emissions, incorporating everything from litres of fuel consumed by your company vehicles to the energy consumed to heat and light your buildings. At Wylde, we partner with a robust carbon calculator provider who uses the latest technology and GHG Protocols to ensure data and reporting accuracy.

Setting a course

Your first year’s emissions data will provide you with a baseline which you can then use to measure progress. It is now time to set reduction targets and agree on your decarbonisation pathway. Be ambitious, engage with stakeholders and ensure they are aligned with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Its Corporate Net Zero Standard is focused on halving emissions before 2030 and achieving Net Zero emissions before 2050. 

Reduce and remove

Minimising your carbon footprint requires a dual approach of emissions reduction and emissions removal. In measuring emissions, you should be able to identify quick wins. Work with all stakeholders to maintain momentum and ensure you have a clear focus. 

You can then explore how your business might offset residual emissions by finding ways of removing them from the atmosphere, but we advocate looking at first of reducing your emissions before you take this course of action. Prioritise permanent removals which securely store carbon for the long term. Options include Carbon Capture and Storage and the restoring nature-based solutions such as natural carbon sinks. Note that SBTi has indicated that businesses cannot use any activities outside the value chain to meet their science-based targets, including any type of offsetting. 

Helping hand

If you lack the in-house experience and expertise to manage the process, seek help from a specialist sustainability consultant. Wylde is committed to helping as many companies as possible to achieve their sustainability goals, including supporting them on their journey to Net Zero. Our expert consultants act as long term trusted partners supporting clients through a blend of consultancy, learning and development and stakeholder engagement programmes. 

It is important that businesses look beyond carbon to develop robust sustainability strategies that focus not only on decarbonisation but on social impact and interventions that have appositive impact on people and planet.

Book a Discovery Call and talk to our team about how we can help reduce your carbon footprint and embed sustainability throughout your organisation.