Actionable Steps to Reduce Your Business’ Carbon Footprint

Have you ever thought about your business’s carbon footprint? If you’ve been following the news or social media for any length of time, the answer is probably yes. 

It’s impossible to avoid the talk on climate change, greenhouse gases, and sustainability – and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The more people are aware of it and educated on it, the easier it will be to make positive changes that can impact the planet. 

From a business standpoint, it’s crucial to think about your carbon footprint and how your company is either contributing to the problem or helping to fight against it. 

Consider the fact that the average family emits around 12 tonnes of CO2 each year. That’s just from regular, daily living. Think about how much more your business might be contributing just through your daily practices. 

If you’ve never analyzed your company’s energy impact, now is the time, especially since more workers have gone remote thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s a good place to start, and it can be a launching pad for a greener initiative for your business. 

With that in mind, let’s look at some actionable steps you can take to reduce your business’s carbon footprint and create an environment that focuses on sustainability. 

Making Positive Changes to Your Office

If you’re not sure how to get started with sustainability, take a look around. Consider the things you can change in your office that would have a positive impact on the environment. That might include making the switch to LED lighting throughout your building. The benefits of LED lighting make it an easy choice. Some of those perks include: 

• They cost less to use
• Many come with lighting-control options
• They have a long lifespan
• The quality of light is better
• They can improve productivity

Of course, the biggest benefit is that LED lighting is better for the environment, using a minimal amount of energy when compared to traditional lighting options. 

Lighting is just the beginning. From going paperless throughout your office to using more natural light whenever possible, there are plenty of small ways to make impactful changes. Encourage your employees to make personal changes, too. That could include unplugging their electronics at the end of the day. Or, organizing a “green” committee within the workplace to come up with fresh ways to lower your business’ carbon footprint. Both your employees and customers should know that you have a dedication to sustainability as a business. 

Starting at the Source

If you own a business that relies on product shipments or supplies regularly delivered to you, it’s a good idea to look at your supply chain and how you can make an effort to make it greener. That might seem nearly impossible, at first. After all, giant semi-trucks and sustainability don’t often go together. 

But, there are things you can do to make the process more environmentally friendly. 

First, consider switching to a trucking company that is committed to going green. Unfortunately, the transportation industry contributes more than 20% of greenhouse gas emissions around the globe. But, some trucking companies are doing their part to cut down on their carbon footprint. So, choose to work with suppliers who: 

• Optimize their delivery routes
• Make sure their fleets are well-maintained
• Advance their technology within their trucks
• Educate their drivers on sustainable habits
• Make green adjustments in their own offices

When you feel confident that you’re working with a supplier that cares about the environment, you can start looking at other ways to make more sustainable efforts, including how your products are made and packaged. Going over every detail of your supply chain and figuring out where you can make positive changes can have the biggest impact on your business’s carbon footprint. 

Going Green With Technology

Technology continues to advance at a rate that’s often hard to keep up with. But, that can be a good thing. Over the last several years, the tech world has made big strides when it comes to environmental benefits. 

For example, if you run an e-commerce business, you obviously have to consider supply chain issues. But, you can also use technology to your “green” advantage and even cut costs at the same time by streamlining shipping with tracking software and encouraging customers to ship all of their items at once (order consolidation). You can also use data to your advantage, collecting it from the back end of your site to have a better grasp on return patterns and shipping issues you can fix to be more sustainable. 

Technology can also help your business when it comes to everything from heating and cooling needs to the amount of electricity your business uses to operate daily. 

As you can see, reducing your business’ carbon footprint doesn’t require a complete upheaval of your current practices. By taking a few actionable steps and making small changes, your company can make a big difference. That’s something that will inspire your employees, motivate your customers, and allow you to serve as an example for your competitors.