The production and use of natural resources for energy create the largest levels of greenhouse gases.

1. Compile an audit of all the electricity, gas and oil that you buy in to operate your business, this will be used for heating, lighting, cooling, general operations. Using your bills, detail your current consumption over a year.
2. Move to buying renewable electricity or switch to a green electricity tariff that is backed by REGO certificates (Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin)
3. Changing to LED Lighting, use PIR sensors to ensure lights are only on when people are in that area.
4. Turning down your thermostat by 1⁰
5. Switching off unused machinery and devices when not in use, use energy efficient appliances, especially in kitchen areas.
6. Check for leaks on cooling compressors, repair the leaks or replace with energy efficient compressors. Use the heat generated to heat other spaces.

Links: Government approved list of approximately 14,000 energy efficient products Energy Technology List Home: Energy Technology List (beis.gov.uk)

Reducing heat loss from a building will create carbon saving benefits.

1. Assess where heat is being lost from the building. Draft proofing any gaps in doors and windows is a good starting point until these can be replaced with energy efficient triple glazing and sustainably produced materials.
2. Check levels of insulation in roof spaces.
3. Check if you are heating a building when no one is in there, programme your heating controls to operate more effectively.
4. Lagging of all hot water pipes and tanks helps to prevent unnecessary heat loss.
5. Regularly servicing boilers and heaters improves their efficiency.
6. When replacing your boiler or heater invest in an A rated model for maximum efficiency or invest in other heating methods such as Heat Pumps or Biomass.
7. Using an aerated shower head reduces energy consumption and water waste. They can be attached to existing fittings and are a low-cost win.

1. Do an audit of waste materials used in your business over a couple of weeks.
2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ensure everybody is on board with this thinking.
3. Provide receptacles for the different types of recycling
4. Look at ways to reduce use of packaging materials, use recycled or green materials.
5. Some materials can be sold to be recycled out of your Council area, see links below for Government guidelines and using Waste Transfer note.
6. Assess your grey water, this could be diverted to be used as replacement toilet water.
7. Check your supply chain and encourage them to use eco packaging.
8. Work with your supply chain to encourage greener practices when dealing with your business, think packaging, paperwork and distribution.

WRAP – WRAP – Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency Experts
Government approved Waste Brokers – Waste carriers, brokers and dealers (data.gov.uk)
Waste Transfer note – Duty of care waste transfer note form – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

1. Compile an audit of all business travel.
2. Assess changing car fleet to electric vehicles and installing electric charging points.
3. Reduce flight travel, use online web/audio conferencing technology instead.
4. Give staff access to information about electric cars and encourage them to see the benefits when they decide to change their cars.
5. Sign up to a Cycle to Work scheme for staff, encourage walking to work.
6. Encourage staff to share lifts or use public transport for travelling to and from work.

1. Set printers to print on both sides of a page as default, set targets for reduction of printing.
2. Have Recycling bins clearly labelled for each type of recycling and encourage staff to recycle everything.
3. Replace disposable cups with reusable crockery and use compostable teabags and recyclable pods for coffee machines.
4. Ban single use plastic in the workplace and encourage staff to adopt this practice at home.
5. Switch to rechargeable batteries in devices and refillable ink cartridges in printers
6. Use planet friendly cleaning products in the workplace and washable cloths
7. Redirect grey water for secondary use.

When you have worked through every process and reduced your carbon footprint and shared your findings with other businesses, to finally reach Net Zero you may need to offset that last part of carbon, but this should absolutely be the last resort.

1. Buying and planting trees, using companies like Ecoligi.
2. Using seaweed or Kelp Farms to Sequester CO2, which grows and absorbs CO2 faster than reforestation. Contact Carbon Kapture for more information.