Your net zero plan

You selected ‘Food production’ and ‘West Midlands’
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Understand your business emissions

1) What causes emissions

Direct carbon emissions produced by the food production industry:

chemical fertilisers – used on crops
energy use – electricity and gas for lighting, refrigeration and machinery
general waste – when it is not recycled and ends up at landfill sites
product packaging – using plastics instead of sustainable alternatives
travel – using petrol or diesel vehicles to deliver services or products

2) Calculate your emissions

Use a free carbon calculator to work out your business’s carbon footprint. This is measured in tonnes, over a year.

3) Estimate the cost of your emissions

Once you have your carbon footprint, you can calculate how much your emissions are costing you. This will give you an idea of potential savings you can make by taking action.

4) Sign up to the SME climate commitment

Make a climate declaration to show customers you are committed to reducing emissions.

Get finance and support

1) Support in your sector

You can get help and advice from the following organisations:

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – provides funding for developing innovative products, processes or services in the food industry
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) – offers its members guidance on decarbonisation. In 2021 they published a handbook for achieving net zero (PDF).
The Soil Association – membership charity for sustainable food, farming and land use

You can also learn how to run your business in a more environmentally friendly way by hiring a sustainability consultant.

2) Get financial support

These support schemes and networks are available in West Midlands:

Agri-tech Growth and Resources for Innovation (AGRI) gives SMEs free innovation support from experts at local universities – must be located in the Marches region
Alternative Raw Materials with Low Impact (ARLI) gives free energy efficiency advice and technical support to SMEs in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull areas
Birmingham & Solihull Industrial Symbiosis Project (BASIS) gives SMEs 12 hours of free consulting to transition waste products into useful resources for other businesses – must be located in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull areas
Energy & Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) gives SMEs expert advice and research support to develop low carbon products and services
GrowAgri gives SMEs 12 hours of expert support to adapt products for the horticulture and agriculture sectors – must be located in Worcestershire
Low Carbon Opportunities Programme (LoCOP) – gives SMEs free energy assessments and matching grants up to £100,000 to install renewable energy systems – must be located in Worcestershire
Low Carbon SMEs gives free energy audits and matching funds up to £12,250 for energy saving equipment or new business processes – must be located in Black Country, Greater Birmingham and Solihull
Smarterials provides free expertise from Aston University for research and testing in material science
Sustainability West Midlands in the regional hub for support and funding sustainable business
West Midlands Innovation Programme provides targeted support to SMEs to access more national innovation funding
The West Midlands Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) Grant Programme (WMGP) funding is available for:
- start-up SMEs based in the West Midlands Region (grants of £2,500 to £7,500 are available for Birmingham, Cannock Chase and Solihull based businesses only)
- existing SMEs based in the West Midlands Region (grants of £5,000 to £100,000 are available for Birmingham, Cannock Chase, Solihull, and Shropshire based businesses)

Actions you can take right now

1) Use less energy at your office and workplace

Quick, low-cost measures include:

lighting – use LED bulbs for greater efficiency
heating – put your thermostat on a timer and seal your windows for extra insulation
office equipment – try to turn off and unplug devices when they’re not being used
ventilation – keep clean and carry out regular checks

2) Do an energy walk-round

Walk around your buildings to see if energy is being used efficiently.

Prepare a checklist

look at lighting, machinery, heating, refrigeration systems and ventilation
identify wasteful energy use and maintenance issues
check at different times of day and compare day and night time use
monitor over a period of a week for accurate average figures
make sure equipment is checked and cleaned regularly to ensure maximum efficiency

Learn more about reducing emissions caused by refrigeration

3) Decide if you need an energy strategy

Depending on the size of your business, you might need to implement an energy management strategy. An energy manager will help you:

Measure and monitor energy use.
Target ways to use energy as efficiently as possible.

Find out more from the Carbon Trust.

4) Train your workforce

You can train your team to be aware of energy efficiency in the workplace. Find a sustainability training course.

5) Change your energy tariff

Switch to a green energy tariff with your energy supplier. This will reduce your reliance on energy produced by fossil fuels.

6) Switch to a smart meter

This will allow you to see and control how much energy you use. Find out more about smart meters.

7) Manage your waste

Recycle waste to prevent it being taken to landfill sites where it takes longer to break down and causes more emissions.

Longer term actions

1) Make changes to your workplace

You can make long-term savings on energy bills by insulating your workplace and replacing old windows.

Check planning permission guidelines before you go ahead with any structural changes to the property.

2) Install renewables

If you are the legal owner of your property, you might consider installing renewable sources of energy.

For example:

heat pumps for heating and water
solar panels or a wind turbine for electricity

By doing so, you could make significant long-term savings on energy bills.

3) Reduce transport emissions

Over a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions are caused by transport. You can take measures to reduce emissions from freight and logistics.

If you have employees you could introduce a cycle-to-work initiative or encourage them to take public transport.

Visit our page on switching employee mode of transport for guidance.

Electric vehicles

If you use a work vehicle, you can reduce emissions by switching over to an electric vehicle (EV). You would be exempt from road tax, congestion charges and parking fees in certain areas.

For easy overnight charging you could install EV chargers at your home or workplace.

Visit our page to find out more about installing chargegpoints.

Transporting refrigerated goods

Learn how to reduce emissions when transporting refrigerated goods.

4) Use sustainable product packaging

Replace plastic with recyclable or compostable substitutes.

Types of sustainable packing include:

plant-based packaging
edible packaging – made from seaweed extract
compostable and biodegradable plastic alternatives
plantable packaging – which is made from seeds and can be buried in soil

Find sustainable packaging companies

Indirect emissions

To reduce indirect or ‘supply chain’ emissions you need to consider what happens before and after your business provides a service or makes a product.

1) Choose greener ‘upstream’ suppliers and products

use suppliers that measure and reduce carbon
help your suppliers with carbon reduction projects
buy products that take less energy to make, transport and operate

Find out more information on how to source products and services from green suppliers.

2) Reduce emissions ‘downstream’ of your business

make products that take less energy to make, transport and operate
reduce water consumption and waste disposal needs
make investments in lower carbon financial products
give incentives for lower emission activities in leased assets or franchises

3) Certify your supply chain action with PAS 2060

PAS 2060 is the internationally recognised standard that recognises your efforts towards carbon neutrality.

The standard process for PAS 2060 certification includes these steps:

Measure greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) based on accurate data.
Reduce of emissions through a carbon management plan.
Document and verify through qualifying explanatory statements and make a public disclosure.

Through independent British Standards Institution (BSI) verification for PAS 2060, your business can demonstrate that it has met these requirements. You can show your business is environmentally friendly and contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while enhancing your organisation’s performance and resilience.

Search on Google for PAS 2060 certification organisations.