A greatly renewed awareness of the battle against climate change has emerged recently, particularly in light of the protests launched by the Extinction Rebellion and the high profile activism of Swedish environmental advocate Greta Thunberg.
The following ideas are just a few of the ways you may be able to reduce your own carbon footprint and make a real difference for the environment right from your own place of business Quanta has lot of ideas and inspiration to grab.
Slashing your office carbon footprint:
There can be no doubt that climate change is something that requires solutions on a global level. But, that is not to say that small changes made by a large number of people cannot also affect real change. Your office can be a perfect place to lower your carbon footprint and start the process of solving the problem. To cut your carbon emissions, you will need to reduce CO2 for which you are responsible, and there are several things you can do to boost the sustainability of your business enterprise. We have provided some insight below that can assist your firm in lowering greenhouse gas emissions and generate energy savings in a cost-effective way.
Reduce travel by your employees:
A great way to lower carbon emissions quickly is to re-evaluate how much traveling your staff needs to do. It is easier than ever to conduct business via video-conference, Internet and phone these days, something which makes frequent travel much less necessary. Flexible working arrangements can also help your staff reduce commutes by allowing work-from-home schedules, at least part of the time. Initiating a carbon-offset plan for your business can also be an effective option. Provide incentives for carpooling, bicycling and the use of public transportation, and your employees are sure to respond.
Turn off devices when not in use:
Employ the same energy-saving strategies at the office that you use at home. Make sure every computer’s power management function is used at all times, and that way the machines will power down on their own when not in use. Just one computer left on all day will generate 1,500 pounds of excess CO2 annually. Only use lights when they are truly required. Motion-sensitive fixtures can be a great help, as can the simple act of turning lights off when leaving an unoccupied room. This can cut energy costs by upwards of 19%.
Cut paper usage:
These days, electronic systems have replaced paper systems in a growing number of work environments. Computers, scanners and the like have made it simpler than ever to remove the paper from the equation almost entirely. If a paper is used for printing, try to use both sides of paper sheets and reuse whenever possible. Paper recycling is also a key component of any waste-reduction plan. This is an easy, effective way to cut your carbon footprint right away.
Get your employees involved:
Perhaps the most critical part of any attempt to make your office more sustainable is the task of getting employee buy-in. Be certain that everyone in the office knows what the overall goal is and the steps you plan to take in order to reach it. A system of incentives and rewards can go a long way to cutting waste dramatically and getting people excited about the objective of building an environmentally-friendly workplace.