Focussing on the Environment for week 3 of B Corp Month
Many of us will have heard the term NetZero especiually as the UK have set formal targets for businesses to be NetZero by 2050. However, 2050 is a long way away and the planet does not have 30 years for businesses to be Carbon NetZero. As a B Corp REAL and 500+ other businesses globally have committed to being NetZero by 2030. Here’s 5 ways that businesses can quickly look to reduce and then offset their reaminaing carbon footprint. There’s a whole suite of tools to help your business start their NetZero journey here on the B Corp Climate Collective’s website.

1. Measure & set targets to reduce your Carbon footprint
We cannot reduce what we do not know we are creating. Measuring your carbon footprint is the start to being able to reduce it, and we all know reducing is better than offsetting. Work with a reputable Carbon Offsetting company to measure, set targets and offset your carbon footprint. Look out for the Gold Standard logo to ensure the projects you offset with are of the highest quality. Some B Corp Carbon offsetting comanies are CO2Analytics and ClimateCare. Once you have begun measuring and offsetting you can also look further afield in your operations/supply chain to ensure that there are no holes in the measurement. Don’t forget to count people who work from home (See point 5) in your measurements.

2. Commit to your goals from the top down.
Business will not change unless the shareholders & board members are committed to change. Take the B Impact Assessment, become a B Corp, amend your legal framework to put plant ahead of profit, commit to being NetZero2030 rather than waiting till 2050. These changes from the top down show commitment to carbon recuction and neutrality. You can commit to being NetZero2030 here.

3. Appoint a climate champion(s).
Having an individual or team or people within the business that have to vet/approve any climate impacting decisions hold the organisation accountable to their goals of reducing and offsetting. Making sure that these individuals have a platform within the business to drive change, continually raise awareness and participate in the creation of climate impacting policies, whether it is procurement, transport, supply chain etc. These individuals also become the voice for the company to their peers that Climate Action is a high priority to the business.

4. Remove or reduce fossil fuels from your business and supply chain.
With the growth in renewable energy over the last decade this is becoming easier to do all the time. Commit firstly to removing fossil fuels from the business, souce energy for your buildings from renewable sources. Once you have achieved this you can work outwards in your supply chain to remove fossil fuels also.

Make your fleet Electric or Hybrid, encourage more environmentally means of transport, walking, cycling, public transport. Can you reward employees who use greener means of transport to get to their office(When they need to, see point below)

5. Reduce your office footprint
This one would not have been considered a few years back but given how well home working has been adapted to by millions across the globe the need for large offices where everyone has a desk is outdated and not practical when looking at it from a climate impact perspective. Working flexibly, working remotely & hot desking can allow you to greatly reduce your office footprint. Therefore saving on energy, furniture and everything else that comes with having a permanent office space.