5 Carbon Reduction Actions To Achieve Net Zero

If your company has a Net Zero policy but hasn’t made any progress, or doesn’t yet have a Net Zero target then this article is for you. Here, we’ll set out in simple terms some actionable steps you can take to move your company forward on carbon reduction.

1. Switch to a renewable energy supplier

This action will likely take care of your scope 2 emissions in one fell swoop. Simply find a renewable energy supplier and make the switch. 

If you share premises or do not own the contract(s), it can be more problematic. In this scenario, the first step is to speak to the contract owner or other leaseholders in your building, chances are they might be thinking along the same lines as you.

Another step you can take if you have team members working from home is to help or incentivise them to switch energy provider. Wholegrain Digital did this for their employees a few years ago. You can read about it here.

Carbon saving: 32kg of CO2e per m2 per year

Switch to a renewable energy provider

2. Prioritise low carbon travel

This doesn’t take much imagination. Use video calls and limit flights and travel in petrol or diesel powered cars, prioritising electric cars or mass transit by train and bus. To go a step further you could set a personal carbon budget for employees (like we have) that would include company travel.

Carbon saving from a return trip between London to Edinburgh by train rather than plane: 120kg of CO2e

3. Buy second hand / refurbished tech and office furniture

Another no-brainer. There are so many reconditioned and second hand computers, screens, keyboards and furniture options on the market, there’s very little justification for buying new and just think of those (carbon) savings.

Carbon saving per computer: 423kg of CO2e

4. Identify efficiencies / reduce waste

Nobody knows your business like you do which means that, with a bit of thought, you can spot areas where you could be making savings. Reducing carbon emissions can have a positive effect on your bottom line by eliminating waste, and using your resources more effectively. Think about how long you need to heat the office or keep the lights on for, whether you could improve the insulation, eliminate single use products etc.

The key here is to really focus on how you can spend less money and reduce carbon each year without affecting your customer experience. 

There are other strategies too. Check out our article all about customer strategies to reduce carbon and achieve Net Zero.

You could also consider what you do with any overproduction waste. Bundling leftover products for a quick sale or donating them to a relevant charity for resale are two ideas that reduce disposal costs as well as your carbon footprint.

5. Reduce the footprint of your product / service

On the basis that you control what you sell and how you sell it, you have the capacity to reduce its carbon footprint. 

• For travel companies, this could be basing trips around train stations rather than airports. 

• For events companies it could be removing high carbon options for exhibitors and choosing venues that can be accessed by bike or by bus/train. 

• For ecommerce businesses, dropping high carbon products or replacing them with lower carbon options is an avenue to explore. If this isn’t viable immediately, promoting lower carbon choices over high carbon ones could help evolve your customers’ behaviour for the better.

We hope this has given you some ideas of the steps you can start taking today to reduce the carbon footprint of your business. If you’d like help calculating your carbon footprint or building your Net Zero strategy, get in touch.