What’s your New Year’s Net Zero Resolution?
The climate crisis is the biggest existential threat facing humanity. Businesses of all shapes and sizes have a role to play in driving down their greenhouse gas emissions to help avert climate catastrophe, but where do you start? We’ve set out 20 New Year’s Net Zero Resolutions to get your business in good shape for the future – most of which can be done easily and affordably.
Bella Smith, Account Executive at Net Zero Now, said: “January is the perfect time to think about how you can drive commercial success by being better. Increasingly, these two things are ever-more aligned. Consumer demand for companies with strong sustainability credentials is on the up, whilst the rising costs of energy, equipment and other resources make efforts to realise efficiencies and move towards Net Zero an attractive choice in 2023.”
Green up your buying
- Phase out single use plastic items such as drinks cups, plastic bottles and cutlery.
- If you offer food and drink on site, make sure that you’re using Fair Trade, local or organic options where possible.
- Buy second hand furniture and equipment. Check out sites like Reyooz for office furniture and secondhand-catering-equipment.co.uk for money-saving used alternatives.
- Keep your people happy with quality, affordable coffee from www.oddcoffeeco.com - a business committed to driving down waste by repackaging surplus or rejected coffee from roasters.
- Order toilet paper from B-Corp uk.whogivesacrap.org/ for plastic-free quality products delivered to your door.
- Be mindful of the environmental impact of your purchasing decisions. Visit wherefrom.org/ for reliable information on the most sustainable choices.
Change your office habits
- Use ecosia.org as your business’ default search engine. Ecosia uses its profits to plant trees.
- Turn off appliances at the mains that aren't in use and unplug ‘vampire appliances’ at night. Use timers to shut off electronic devices if that makes things easier.
- Make online meetings the norm. Travel to and from meetings is a huge emitter of carbon, so opt for in-person meetings only when necessary.
- Email less and think twice about sending large attachments. Staggeringly, if everyone in the UK reduced by just one the daily emails they send, 16,433 tonnes of carbon would be saved a year, equivalent to tens of thousands of flights to Europe.
- Encourage your people to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work.
Get more efficient
- Choose energy efficient light bulbs. They save between 70-80% of the electricity of traditional bulbs and last 10 times longer.
- Lower your thermostat in winter and raise it in the summer - heating and cooling is one of the largest power drains that most businesses have.
- Ensure that lights are turned off in unused rooms. Consider installing motion sensors to minimise the use of lights.
- Invest in energy efficient green appliances when it's time to upgrade for considerable cost savings.
- Install a SMART metre to track your gas and electricity use, so you can see how you can reduce it.
Use less
- Print less, and, when you do print, use recycled paper.
- Think about ways you can use less water. Install cistern displacement devices in your toilets to use less water when flushing, and only put the dishwasher on when it’s full.
- Avoid items with excess packaging, and opt for those that have recyclable packaging where possible.
Choose Net Zero!
- Book a demo with one of our experts today to see how the Net Zero Now platform can help your business get on a pathway to Net Zero and achieve sustainable advantage. Our platform helps companies to track, then reduce their carbon emissions, and gives you the tools to shout about the efforts that you’re making. Get in touch today!
