Recently a lot of people have become more aware of what human activity has done to the earth’s climate and how this is becoming more dangerous the longer nothing is done about it. This has initially led to many people taking steps to make changes in their businesses or daily lives to reduce the number of greenhouse gasses that are released into our atmosphere. This has also led to countries setting “Net Zero” goals to achieve the lowest carbon emissions.
What is Net Zero?
Net Zero is a goal that originally each country signed to say that they would have 0 carbon emissions by 2050 or at least balance out emissions with carbon-capturing methods. As the UK has pledged that they will become Net Zero for 2050 they need all UK businesses to be setting targets to do the same.
The widespread adoption of Net Zero targets amongst businesses is important for driving ambitious climate action. Deep cuts to emissions in line with a 1.5°C pathway and the permanent removal of any remaining greenhouse gases will be needed in order to achieve these targets. However, in order for the government to achieve this, they need everyone to be on board.
Your business's carbon footprint
Every person on the planet has a carbon footprint, this is how much carbon you have produced in your lifetime either directly or indirectly. Companies are no different, to get started on reducing your carbon output you first need to understand your carbon footprint. This can be done by carbon reporting.
The greenhouse gas protocol has categorized businesses’ carbon footprints into 3 scopes. These are:
- Scope 1 - these are emissions that come from activities within an organization’s control and can be reduced. For example fuel from company vehicles or fuel combustion.
- Scope 2 - these are emissions that are indirect and associated with procured energy, such as heat or electricity.
- Scope 3 - this relates to the emissions that come from your business indirectly during the supply value chain. For example how a product is disposed of or used by the end-user.
Understanding your business’s carbon footprint will allow you to see exactly where your business is producing the most emissions and will help you know what areas of business you need to target when setting your net-zero goals.
Tips to help you reduce the amount of carbon your business produces
- Set Net Zero goals - In order to start reducing carbon within your company you need to set net zero goals for your business to reach, you should also make a commitment to becoming net zero by a certain time or date, this way you have something to you accountable to make sure you meet the goal and stay on target.
- Switch your business energy to a green tariff - Switching to a green tariff is the easiest way to reduce your indirect greenhouse gas emissions. Having a green tariff will mean you are not paying for electricity that comes from fossil fuels but instead natural gas or renewable energy.
- Educate your employees - Educating and engaging employees in this process is crucial. However, we understand not every business has the time or resources to do this, that is why we have engagement experts that can explain the importance of net zero to your employees and how they can be more involved in it
- Invest in your business’s future - Find ways to generate your own energy to future-proof your business and ensure protection from increasing prices. You could also store the energy that you create to save for periods of lower generation and higher demand. This will help you become more energy-efficient, reduce consumption, and improve your bottom line.
How our net-zero services can help
Although reducing your greenhouse gasses as a company is important it can be difficult, especially when trying to maintain a profitable business. That is why we have our Resolve Net Zero services available. See our carbon reduction plans to see which service suits your business the most. Our flexible plans are designed to ensure there is a service that suits all businesses and budgets. Contact us today to get started on your net-zero plan.
If you're looking to save money on your energy bills then why not get in touch today? The relationships Resolve Energy has developed with over 24 of the UK’s biggest business energy suppliers allows our energy experts to source the best business energy rates available for your company right when you need them. Request a free quote today and start saving money on your energy.
