Zero Carbon Culture - do you need to be more sustainable?

It’s no surprise that we’re in a climate crisis. Construction, in particular, is the world’s second largest contributor of carbon dioxide emissions. However, lockdowns around the world have had a significant impact and reduced global emissions with unintended climate benefits including cleaner air and cleaner water.

With the government now pushing companies to lower emissions and be more sustainable, clients will also look to work with more sustainable companies to align with their own values and meet new sustainability targets. Organisations across the globe are now looking for ways to be more sustainable to keep this up and adopt new ways of working even as restrictions are eased and we get back to normal.

As things start to pick back up again, you should ask yourself, how sustainable is your company? Are there improvements that could be made to ensure that future generations actually have a future?

Of course, it’s easier said than done but with a little help we can all do more to help our planet. Here are a few simple tips that may help you start your journey to becoming more sustainable.

Recycle more

Organisations can start by taking a look at their waste and trying to divert as much as they possibly can from landfill by recycling more. Introducing recycling bins around the office and educating people in what can and can’t go in is the very least a company can do to be more sustainable. When it comes to plastic – avoid at all cost. Now, this is a difficult one as plastic is everywhere but there are ways we can significantly reduce single use plastic. Avoid buying bottled drinks and encourage staff to use a reusable water bottle, maybe issue company branded water bottles if you can? Provide cutlery at work for those bringing their own lunch in so they don’t need to use plastic cutlery.

Switch to an eco-friendly energy supplier

Switching to a green energy supplier will not only reduce your carbon footprint, but it could also save you money on bills too. In the UK there are plenty to choose from as the market starts its move towards embracing renewable energy. When it comes to 100% green electricity – most of the big six have tariffs that offer this but if you want both green gas and electricity, then you will need to look at some of the smaller companies. Some of those companies are Bulb, Octopus Energy, Green Energy UK, Ecotricity, OVO Energy and Pure Planet.

Align with the Sustainable Development Goals

Look to benchmark your company’s achievements against 17 global goals set by the UN in 2015 to achieve a more sustainable future and address global challenges. This can help drive growth and offers accountability and assessment. It also means that the company will have a set purpose and specific goals to work towards.

Eat less meat

Now you don’t need to become a full vegan or vegetarian, unless you want to, but eating less meat is a great way to be more eco-friendly while helping your overall health. You could look at incorporating Meatless Mondays to encourage staff to not eat meat for lunch on a Monday and share some of the best on social media or in your internal newsletter. Maybe encourage staff to try Veganuary or Meatless May/March and share some great recipes they can try.

Composting

You could even introduce a composting bin into the office to repurpose waste into something productive. You can’t compost everything, but you can help by trying to avoid throwing too much into landfill. You could set someone a task to bag it up once fertilised and offer it back to staff in reception for their gardens at home.

Grow your own

Growing your own food is also a great way to save money, while consuming less. Why don’t you look at starting a community garden at work? The fertiliser you’ve made from composting can also be used to help grow your own food too. Staff could each be responsible for their own plant and then once harvested, take whatever they want home. Things like herbs, fruit and vegetables can be quite easy to grow and don’t take up a lot of time.

There are plenty of ways you could be more sustainable, and we can help. At AMG Professional Writing, we can work with you and advise you on your own sustainability journey. We can advise you on the specific steps to take to lower emissions, review policies and find out ways you can improve as well as acting as your sustainability champion to work within departments to ensure each part of the business is doing all it can.