Track and share your progress
Once your business has checked its carbon footprint and started to take action, the next step is sharing your progress. This will give customers, employees and other businesses confidence that you’re reducing carbon and moving toward net zero.
Business benefits
In addition to the upfront cost savings of lower emissions, your business can profit from showing its progress toward a smaller carbon footprint.
Businesses reducing emissions are better able to:
- attract customers and employees who value climate action
- sell to large companies that require low carbon supply chains
- get recognition from carbon certification schemes
- reduce exposure to legal changes and energy price rises
- maintain the confidence of investors sensitive to climate risks
To gain these benefits your carbon information needs to be trustworthy and relevant to your business audience.
Certify your carbon reduction progress
There are a number of ways to prove that you’re making progress.
Most small businesses that measure and reduce emissions are able to do this for themselves. Getting your carbon reduction independently verified by a consultant, auditor or certifying organisation can help increase trust.
Calculate your yearly progress
If you already measure and take actions to reduce your carbon footprint, you will be able to calculate yearly reductions and cost savings. You can then share this with your audience in a format that suits their needs.
Make the SME Climate Commitment
The government wants all small businesses to commit to reducing emissions. Making the commitment is free and only requires basic information about your business. You must provide yearly updates and will receive recognition on their website.
Hire a consultant or auditor
Hiring a sustainability consultant can lend credibility to your carbon reduction plans. Some consulting and accounting firms also offer audits that verify your emission reductions.
Apply to a certifying organisation
A number of organisations offer paid certification for emission reductions. These include:
- Carbon Trust standards
- CDP disclosure for investors
- ISO 14001 for environmental management
- BITC Responsible Business Tracker
How to show your progress
Following government guidance for carbon reporting, consider these factors:
- Who is interested – customers, employees, investors or others who use carbon data to make business decisions.
- Where to share information – your website, social media, advertising materials, internal reports, storefront or product packaging.
- What to share – yearly measurement data, emission decreases or cost savings you’re passing along.