Why CO2 Neutrality Should be Your Next Business Milestone

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People have become more conscious of the impact that human interactions are having on the environment and as a result have begun to work harder to reduce their CO2 footprints.

Understanding why CO2 neutrality should be your new business milestone will put you in the right direction of lessening your environmental footprint. CO2 neutrality is a great goal to achieve as a business to play your part in giving back to the environment as well as strengthening your company and its potential as a brand. Want to know how? Read my top tips. 

Why CO2 Neutrality Should be Your Next Business Milestone

What is CO2 Neutrality?

CO2 neutrality, or having a net-zero footprint, means achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions, which occurs by balancing carbon dioxide emissions through carbon reductions and offsets. It is used to refer to the carbon dioxide releasing processes that occur in our daily lives through transportation, industrial energy production, and agriculture.

To accomplish CO2 neutrality, there are set steps that a business can take. These steps are commitment, counting and analyzing, action, reduction, offsetting, evaluation, and repeating.

Why CO2 Neutrality Matters for a Business

There are many benefits of CO2 neutrality for both the environment and businesses. In addition to making a positive impact on the environment, CO2 neutrality can increase revenue, reduce cost, engage stockholders, and mitigate risks.

By providing climate leadership, employees are encouraged to come up with new products and services which differentiate your business from others which in return can lead to increased revenue. By changing energy use and business travel, you not only reduce your carbon footprint but can also reduce your costs.

When you are measuring, disclosing, and managing climate costs, you are not only motivating your employees but also demonstrating to investors your capabilities and opportunities. By taking the steps now to achieve your CO2 neutrality, you reduce the risks of future regulations that may tax carbon production. 

The first step is knowing your footprint and finding the right advisory to fit your business and goals. Here, consultancies with tailor-made services are your best friend. Once your footprint has been calculated, strategies will be provided to create a plan for CO2 neutrality, all you have to do is follow the plan with ways to get you to this milestone. 

Simple Ways to Achieve Carbon Neutrality

No matter how big or small your business is, you can achieve carbon neutrality. There are many steps that you and your employees can take to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions you are creating.

Encourage Carpooling

Carpooling is a great way to reduce CO2 emissions. By having employees carpool to work, they will cut back the amount of CO2 as well as helping to save on the cost of gas. 

Organizing carpooling groups can be done through email or Facebook groups. Employees can meet at a commuter lot and then all drive together in one car, reducing the amount of driving. Each day, a different employee can drive to make sure the system is fair.

Use More Renewable Energy

Using renewable energy is a great way to cut back on CO2 use and even save money in the long run. Consider adding solar panels or even just using as much natural light as possible.

Try to buy as much energy-efficient technology as possible. Look for equipment that features “Energy-Star” logos, as they can save up to 50% in energy costs. You can even buy wind energy from local wind farmers as you would like electricity.  

Be More Resourceful

There are several ways to be more resourceful around the office, many of which are small changes that are easy to achieve. Set goals for your employees. There are many ways employees can practice sustainability while at work.

Many times lights are left on at the office, even when people are not using the room. By simply turning off the lights when not in use and relying more on natural light, you can make a difference. In addition, make sure your windows are properly sealed and consider installing awnings, screen window shades, or high-reflectivity films to save energy and costs.

Work Remotely When Possible

When possible, have your employees work from home to reduce CO2 emissions by not driving. Working remotely can be a great way for your employees to save gas money and time as well.

In fact, many people prefer to work from home. Oftentimes, work can be done on a laptop and meetings can be done virtually.

Recycle

Recycling is an important step in helping the environment and reducing CO2 emissions. By encouraging your employees to recycle at work and at home, you can make a big difference. 

Set up recycling cans for paper, plastics, and cans. Be sure to post signs around the office so people know that there is recycling available in the building and the importance of recycling as much as possible. 

Reduce Air Travel

Air travel can play a large role in CO2 output. By reducing air travel, you can make a big step towards achieving CO2 neutrality. 

When possible, have meetings via video conferences. If possible, commute by train the entire way or between connecting flights. When you do fly, try to opt for airlines that offer carbon offsets for every ticket purchased.

Tune-Up Company Vehicles

To make sure you are reducing your carbon footprint, have your company vehicles regularly tuned to make sure they are in the best running order. For example, keep your tires properly inflated to reduce up to 250 pounds of CO2 every year.

CO2 Offsetting

While the goal should be to reduce as much CO2 as possible within your operations, for the CO2 that inevitably cannot be avoided, CO2 offsetting can provide a solution to get you to your milestone. From tree planting to seagrass sequestering to re-greening, there are countless projects that you can support to offset the rest of your CO2. Establishing an offsetting baseline will also help motivate you to continue to lower your operational footprint more and more, which will keep you on the path of sustainability. 

Setting CO2 Neutrality as Your Business Milestone

After reading this article, I hope that I have inspired you to take the leap to achieve CO2 neutrality. This will not only do wonders for the environment but also your business for the reasons mentioned above. By becoming CO2 neutral, you can improve your working environment and company culture, increase revenue, reduce cost, engage stockholders, and mitigate risks. 

Are you ready to go-green today?

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Green Living Zone

Donald Giddings is founder and editor in chief at Green Living Zone. A lifelong sustainability enthusiast, Donald is always looking for the best way to live in harmony with nature. When he is not trying out new eco-friendly recipes, he writes engaging content about green, sustainable ways to maintain your home, body, and soul, readily sharing his abundant experience with other green living aficionados.

Are you interested in CO2 neutrality as your next business goal? Let's talk.