So you’ve done all the groundwork to start your company’s sustainability journey. Now what?
You’ve done some online training to cover the basics. You know about the different types of carbon emissions you could be making and how to measure and report them. By now you’ve probably also had a few meetings to start talking about what some of your goals and targets might be for reducing your carbon footprint as an organisation.
But before you set anything in stone and start taking action, there are a few key things you should consider to make sure the changes you’re making are actually going to be effective in getting you to your net zero target.
1. Start with the low hanging fruit
You need to be sure that the actions you’re taking are proportionate to the issue. By measuring your impact first, you can be sure to understand the areas that will give you the biggest bang for your buck when it’s time to focus on changes. Whether it’s purchasing installing rooftop solar, upgrading to more efficient heating and cooling or changing energy providers and purchasing GreenPower.
2. Avoid only doing token gestures
While doing things like removing plastic straws from your café or using sustainable packaging for online orders are certainly very important in your journey toward becoming a more eco-friendly business, they mean nothing if you’re not backing it up with real action on the other ‘unsexy’ things that aren’t public facing. If you want to avoid greenwashing and make a real difference, you need to be doing both.
3. Energy matters
The kind of energy you’re using is up there with the most important decisions you’re going to make in your quest for net zero emissions. There’s a good chance that no matter what industry you work in, your energy use is going to be one of the biggest items on the list when you start measuring your impact. Luckily, it can also be one of the easiest things to address. Switch to GreenPower and you’ll see those emissions fall.
4. Off-set, off-set, off-set
As we’ve already discussed in previous articles, investing in carbon off-sets won’t get you all the way to net zero. But they are extremely important in getting you part of the way while you work on solutions to some of the more complex pieces of your emissions puzzle.
First, work out how much carbon you need to account for to cover a particular emissions-creating activity and how many carbon credits you’ll need to cover it. Talk to us about land-based restoration projects that removes carbon from the atmosphere through sequestration.
5. Get professional advice
Even with all the reading, research and goal-setting, getting started in sustainability can be a minefield. If you want to do it right and make a real difference, seek some help from the professionals who know how it’s done.
Impact Sustainability’s team of expert consultants can answer any of your questions and guide you through every step of the process so you can hit all your targets. Get in touch today.
FURTHER READING
- Start measuring your impact with Impact Sustainability software
- Go Green! Find out how to switch to renewable energy with GreenPower Australia
- Learn about Australian Carbon Markets to start purchasing carbon off-sets