Businesses across the globe in every industry are attempting to reduce their carbon emissions. Where emissions cannot be reduced, companies are turning to carbon offsetting to help reach their NetZero goals. In fact, the voluntary carbon-offset market is expected to grow from $2 billion in 2020 to around $250 billion by 2050.
It is increasingly important for businesses to invest in creating a more sustainable future. Many companies and institutions already certified as carbon neutral businesses will be looking to ensure that this extends to their full supply chain, creating a level of transparency and trust with their customers and clients.
As we support our clients in their efforts to create a sustainable future, it has become increasingly important for us at Energy Resourcing to follow their example and become a carbon neutral business.
Why becoming a carbon neutral business matters
Identifying the ‘why’ behind carbon offsetting is the first step for any company that aims to measure and offset carbon emissions. Becoming a carbon neutral business may be done as part of a corporate responsibility programme, to become part of a green supply chain, or to inspire others in the industry to act. Whatever the reason, creating an environmental report is an essential next step.
Environmental reports can be created using approved tools by local governments, authorities, or a third-party agency. These reports detail how much carbon the business uses yearly and gives an insight into how an organisation currently produces carbon.
This enables businesses to reduce their carbon emissions before they look at offsetting.
All businesses engage in activities that produce carbon. An environmental report can help identify the areas in which carbon impact can be reduced, from supply chains to the daily running of an office building. This proves to staff, customers, and stakeholders that emissions are being reduced wherever possible.
In the UK, 38% of businesses reported that they’re taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
What we’ve been doing to become a carbon neutral business
Energy Resourcing has been working with Carbon Neutral Britain to help identify and offset our carbon emissions. This process began with our company values, specifically our value of Life.
Energy Resourcing believes in the safety, health and well-being of our people, communities, and the environment. These values led us to look at what we could do internally to negate our impact on the environment as a business.
We had Carbon Neutral Britain create a carbon emissions report that measured the impact of our business across our 4 offices in the United Kingdom. Once this report was complete, it gave us a clear overview of what our most carbon-intensive business activities are. For our Stockton and Aberdeen branches, this was primarily caused by staff commuting and travel between our offices.
With this new insight, our UK team are working to reduce carbon emissions by ensuring all travel is strictly necessary, with more environmentally friendly modes of travel used for longer journeys – rail instead of flying.
Carbon reduction vs offsetting
Reducing carbon emissions is the most important step in becoming a carbon neutral business. However, not all emissions can be avoided or reduced, and business-critical activities may still result in emission production. This is where carbon offsetting comes in to help create a carbon neutral business.
Carbon offsetting involves compensating for carbon dioxide emissions that cannot be avoided. This is done by supporting carbon sink projects around the world, from the creation of new woodlands to supporting hydro, solar and wind sites.
It’s not just the offsetting of carbon that’s important in programs like this. Often, an organisation looking to become a carbon neutral business will ensure that their donation is also helping social causes.
These include programmes that distribute energy-efficient equipment in developing countries and ensure that real benefits are made immediately via carbon offsetting funds.
Projects we are supporting as a carbon neutral business
Our contributions will be used to support and develop various projects around the world. With the aid of Carbon Neutral Britain, we are helping provide energy-efficient lightbulbs to homes in India.
Over 400 million light points in India use incandescent lamps, which are extremely inefficient, converting just 5% of electricity input into light. By replacing these bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps, which are much more efficient, there is a potential reduction of 6,000MW of electricity.
With 76% of India’s electricity generated by coal, over 35,000 tonnes of CO2e are offset each year through the project.
Another project we are supporting through Carbon Neutral Britain is La Confluencia, a 163MW hydropower plant located in the Andes Mountains in Chile. This project aims to provide zero-emissions energy to Chile while contributing to the surrounding regions environmental and social development.
Through the ‘Tinguiririca Participa’ grant program, the project directly finances proposals presented by community organisations in areas such as healthcare, education, and social change. This includes the reforestation of around 120 hectares around the site, supporting local flora and fauna.
The project is also creating job opportunities for locals during the construction process, as well as infrastructure enhancements in surrounding areas.
The importance of partnering
Becoming a carbon neutral business can be difficult for companies to achieve in-house, so choosing a trusted third party as a partner is vital.
Not only do third parties help make calculations for carbon usage, but they also ensure the projects that are being funded in any carbon offsetting are held to the correct global standards. This helps companies know they aren’t contributing towards greenwashing.
Some of the key standards in carbon neutral programmes include The Gold Standard, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Any business carbon offsetting to these standards can ensure their contributions are being used in fully compliant projects instead of greenwashing.
Why we partnered with Carbon Neutral Britan
Energy Resourcing chose to partner with Carbon Neutral Britain due to their rigorous checks and certifications that ensure any funds raised are spent on projects that make a difference in the fight against climate change.
Carbon Neutral Britain’s transparency allows us to understand exactly where our contribution is going. It lets us ensure that we are contributing to the right causes. Choosing Carbon Neutral Britain also allowed us to leverage their expertise in carbon calculation, creating one point of contact for the full carbon offsetting process.
If you aim to become a carbon neutral business or want to know more about what being carbon neutral means, get in touch with Carbon Neutral Britain if in the UK or visit The Gold Standard for a list of carbon offsetting projects around the world.
Looking ahead
Becoming a carbon neutral business in the UK is just the first step for Energy Resourcing. We aim to eventually roll out carbon reduction and offsetting initiatives across all our global operations. By partnering with accredited third parties worldwide, we hope to reduce our overall emissions and offset any that are business-critical.
This is an ongoing process but something that everyone at Energy Resourcing is passionate about.
Our position within the energy industry offers us a unique chance to lead the conversation around carbon neutral businesses within the sector, and we aim to continue looking for new ways to position ourselves as an environmentally conscious business.
