Reducing your carbon footprint: 10 Tips for a Green Business
Reducing business carbon emissions is an essential step towards combating climate change. Clearly, the FMCompany Green Membership is a great place to start, but here are ten more ways to help your business reduce its carbon footprint:
Conduct a carbon footprint assessment: The first step in reducing carbon emissions is to understand where they are coming from. Conducting a carbon footprint assessment can help identify the sources of emissions, and determine the most effective reduction strategies for your business. This may sound complicated but there are many free carbon calculators available online or, if you’d prefer to bypass the paperwork, contact a consultancy company to carry out the measurements for you.
Implement energy-efficient practices: Energy-efficient practices, such as turning off lights and computers when not in use, can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and save your business some money while you’re at it. In fact, these two factors alone could save you around 40% on your office-based energy costs. You could also consider upgrading to LED lighting and energy-efficient appliances, with a priority on printer copiers, water coolers and coffee machines.
Use renewable energy sources: Switching to renewable energy sources like solar or wind power can help reduce your business's carbon emissions. Many utility providers offer green energy options that can be also cost-effective for small businesses.
Encourage telecommuting: Allowing employees to work remotely can significantly reduce carbon emissions from commuting. Telecommuting also has the added benefit of reducing overhead costs for businesses. Moving to a telecommuting model has been proven to produce employees that are generally less stressed, happier and more productive working at home, while employers benefit from less absenteeism, increased output and retention of good employees.
Implement a sustainable transportation plan: If employees need to commute to the office, consider implementing a sustainable transportation plan. This could include carpooling, using public transportation, or providing bikes for employees to use.
Reduce paper use: Implementing paperless practices can help reduce your business's carbon footprint. This includes using digital documents and storage, as well as recycling paper and other materials.
Use eco-friendly products: Using eco-friendly products, such as recycled paper or non-toxic cleaning supplies, can help in reducing your business's carbon footprint.
Encourage sustainable behavior: Encourage employees to adopt sustainable behavior, such as using reusable water bottles and coffee cups, as well as providing incentives or rewards for eco-friendly behavior. You could introduce your sustainability goals through workshops or meetings that focus on the wider economic and personal benefits of reducing carbon emissions. Make it fun and get your teams involved in themed national causes such as Earth Hour or Earth Day and provide them with the resources and prompts they need to form sustainable habits.
Partner with sustainable suppliers: Partnering with sustainable suppliers can help reduce the environmental impact of your business's supply chain. Look for suppliers that use sustainable materials, and implement environmentally-friendly practices.
Monitor and report progress: Regularly monitor and report your business's progress towards reducing carbon emissions. This can help identify areas for improvement and ensure that your business stays on track to meet its sustainability goals.
