Businesses today are facing increasing pressure to meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. A big part of that is reducing carbon emissions, which is not just a corporate responsibility but a critical driver of competitive advantage. Today’s forward-thinking leaders know that aligning with global sustainability goals can enhance brand reputation, attract new customers, and increase operational efficiency.
With severe weather events, resource scarcity, and consumer demand for sustainable practices on the rise, companies that prioritize carbon reduction position themselves as industry leaders prepared for a low-carbon economy.
5 Ways to Reduce Your Business’ Carbon Footprint
Drawing on our experience in helping companies transition to more sustainable operations, we’ve compiled a list of actionable strategies to help you meet your ESG commitments while strengthening your bottom line. Our expert recommendations provide a strategic roadmap you can use to cultivate a truly sustainable workplace. Read on to learn more.
- Promote Green Office Practices
A simple, effective way to cut carbon emissions is to start from the basics. How? We recommend you start with the following green office practices.- Upgrade to energy-efficient lighting — LED lights can save between 80-90% on energy use compared to incandescent bulbs. LEDs also last longer, reducing maintenance and replacement costs.
- Use energy-efficient appliances— In the office, ensure that you are using energy star-rated computers, fridges, and HVAC systems that use less energy. This switch cuts the office’s energy use significantly. Also, when not in use, ensure everyone unplugs these appliances.
- Install smart thermostats— These systems control heating and cooling. They adjust to office usage patterns and turn the systems on and off accordingly. Eventually, these gadgets might cut air conditioning costs by 10% to 15% yearly.
- Reward Sustainable Commuting & Business Travel
Another major cause of a company’s carbon impact is frequent business travel. Sustainable business travel is the solution, and we suggest these strategies:- Promote virtual meetings— To minimize business travel, use virtual meeting platforms like Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet. Such methods save time and completely cut travel costs as well as lowering carbon emissions. Make online meetings the norm and save in-person meetings for crucial talks.
- Adopt a green travel strategy— For unavoidable trips, promote carpooling or using company buses over everyone driving alone.
- Champion Sustainable Waste Management
Reducing the environmental effects of a company requires sustainable waste management. The five Rs of waste management help—refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and repurpose. This approach can help businesses with sustainable waste management. To improve the sustainable waste management of your business, we advise that you:- Minimize printing and promote digital document management to cut on paper use— Reduce paper waste, use cloud storage, electronic signatures, and digital communication. If you must use paper, use double-sided printing and recycled paper.
- Reuse office supplies— Create a system to reuse items like shipping boxes, file folders, and binders. Before buying new office supplies, set up a system to reuse gently used ones. You can also organize with suppliers to collect used packaging as they drop the new stock. This way, less and less waste goes to landfill.
- Recycle properly— Put up clear bins for plastic, paper, and e-waste and safely dispose of old PCs, monitors, and batteries with authorized e-waste recyclers. Employee engagement is crucial as it will reduce contamination in recycling bins.
- Embrace Renewables and Energy Efficiency
Another good way to lower carbon emissions is through renewable energy usage, such as hydroelectric, solar, or wind power. By using fewer fossil fuels, you can cut greenhouse gas emissions. We suggest that you:- Install solar panels— Panels can cut energy costs and reliance on non-renewable energy. Thankfully, such initiatives come with rewards like tax breaks, grants, and loans that lower migration costs.
- Buy green energy from suppliers— If taking up renewable energy systems is too expensive for your company, buy green energy credits from your utility provider instead. This represents a certain amount of energy produced from renewable sources, which helps offset the carbon footprint of your company’s energy use, even if you don’t directly use renewable energy sources.
- Encourage staff to use renewable energy at home— Another significant step in employee engagement is to offer incentives—financial rewards and recognition programs—for members who switch to green energy. This influence can lead to a broader culture of environmental consciousness both at work and at home.
- Engage Staff and Build Sustainable Supply Chains
Collaboration with both staff and suppliers who aren’t eco-conscious can ruin all your good work. So, from your workforce to your suppliers and distributors, it’s important to recognize that the entire supply chain is vital in lowering emissions. We recommend these solutions.- Offer energy conservation training— Educate your staff on energy-saving strategies like turning off lights and appliances when not in use. This includes workshops or publications that can be applied both at home and at work.
- Promote flexible scheduling and remote work— A hybrid model or remote work cuts commuting-related carbon emissions and company energy use within the office.
- Create a green team—Form a team to oversee and manage sustainability initiatives, like reduce, reuse, and recycle campaigns. To encourage participation, reward those who participate and suggest ideas that save energy.
- Collaborate with sustainable suppliers— Finally, choose suppliers who value eco-friendly practices and products. Look for those who use renewable energy or sell carbon-neutral goods.
Measuring the Carbon Footprint of Your Business
Even though carbon footprint factsheets report offer enterprises helpful insights, there is more to understanding your emissions. To find a solution, you have to understand the full scope of the problem. So, do you know how much carbon you emit?
Through our experience in this sector, we find that these steps help any business accurately estimate its carbon footprint:
- Understand the biggest producers— Is food wastage the cause of most of your emissions? Or is it the company’s fleet of trucks or machines? Knowing the possible emission points helps you identify exact figures to create a plan.
- Set benchmarks and goals— Once the carbon footprint reduction plan of your business is clear, set goals to reduce emissions from business. Make them attainable by setting benchmarks, such as cutting emissions by 10% annually.
- Track and update— Have systems in place to monitor carbon levels and update stakeholders on the progress. This transparency keeps your company accountable for its sustainability goals.
- Get the help you need— If you cannot handle the above on your own, seek third-party resources, such as experts like RTS, who have a proven track record in the sector to help you reduce carbon emissions. At RTS, we help with smart bin level sensors, recurring waste services, commercial recycling, sustainability programs, and more.
With tangible numbers you can easily identify targets to work towards.
The Problem with Carbon Offsetting
While the concept of carbon offsetting involves funding projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions—such as reforestation or methane capture from landfills—businesses must understand its limitations.
The critical limitations of carbon offsetting are:
- Greenwashing — Greenwashing occurs when a company deceptively markets itself as environmentally friendly to improve its image while making minimal real efforts toward sustainability.
- Accountability Challenges — These arise because there are limited regulators and standards set to compare a company’s carbon offsetting initiatives.
So, while carbon offsetting can improve sustainability, it’s better to reduce carbon emissions from the get-go. Businesses must prioritize implementing energy-efficient technologies and transitioning to renewable energy sources instead. You must also redesign operations to minimize carbon output and create a culture of sustainability within the company.
Conclusion
Lowering your business’s carbon footprint is an environmental duty. It’s also a smart choice. It saves money, public perception, and the planet. So, focus on sustainable waste management, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and eco-friendly travel. For all these steps, don’t forget employee engagement. To start a sustainable future, put these solutions into practice now.
- International Energy Agency. (2022). Targeting 100% LED lighting sales by 2025. https://www.iea.org/reports/targeting-100-led-lighting-sales-by-2025
- Ameer, S., & Hossain, M. S. (2016). Implementing energy efficiency measures in building infrastructure: An approach. In Proceedings of the ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings (pp. 953-964). American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. https://www.aceee.org/files/proceedings/2016/data/papers/6_953.pdf
- United Nations. (n.d.). Greenwashing. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/greenwashing
- RTS. (n.d.). What is sustainable waste management? https://www.rts.com/blog/what-is-sustainable-waste-management/
- University of Michigan. (n.d.). Carbon footprint factsheet. Center for Sustainable Systems. https://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/sustainability-indicators/carbon-footprint-factsheet