Moving to carbon neutrality: the role of offsets for your organisation

Working towards a more sustainable future for our planet is one of the key issues facing society. To do this, we need to become more carbon-neutral.

This means reaching a point by 2050 where the amount of CO2 being absorbed by the Earth by trees and plants is equal to or greater than the volume of emissions being produced.

Businesses have a large role to play in this, as their activities are a leading cause of greenhouse gases. Consumers are demanding their brands be environmentally conscious in the modern world. To stay ahead of your competition, retain your customer base and continue to grow into the future, it is important to adopt a sustainable focus. But how is becoming carbon neutral achievable?

The difference between carbon-free and carbon-neutral 

It is important to make this distinction because, at present, it is virtually impossible for any business to have zero emissions. We still rely on fossil fuels for our electricity (although this tide is turning), and the manufacture of most of our products still requires CO2. Transport for shipping, delivery and even just employees getting to work results in emissions as well.

Businesses have to get a metric of what their CO2 footprint is (which can be determined using our calculator) so they can put in measures that can help reduce that footprint.

These measures are spread across three actions:

Reduce: Minimise the waste going to landfill, develop behaviour to reduce energy usage like turning off lights, cooling and heating in spaces that are not being used, and also reduce the volume of company transport including flights.

Re-use: Eliminate single-use and disposable products in your workplace, which can include stationery and kitchen items like cutlery and straws. Encourage the use of re-usable coffee and water cups.

Recycle: Provide clearly marked bins throughout your workplace to encourage recycling, and try to use as many recycled goods in the manufacture and packaging of your products.

What about the emissions that we can’t eliminate?

Once you have made every possible efficiency, your business will have an improved footprint which is cause for celebration. You have made a huge difference to the environment and your consumers will thank you for it as they are much more likely to favour a brand that is making a sustainable difference.

But you will not be 100 per cent emission-free, which is where offsetting comes into play. This is the practice of funding environmental projects like tree-planting exercises that will offset any CO2 you are still producing.

CarbonClick provides a way for you to get your customers to help with this process while also reducing their footprint. Our easy-to-use system allows your customers to donate a small fee towards real tree-planting exercises, high impact reforestation and renewable energy projects that they can track and monitor, while our dashboard allows you to track your journey towards net-zero emissions.