Following COP26 and the release of the UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy, the pressure for businesses to introduce carbon and energy management plans is bigger than ever, but why is this, and what do businesses need to do to get started with carbon and energy management?
What is Carbon and Energy Management?
Carbon and Energy Management is exactly what it says, it’s the management of a business’s carbon and energy usage and outputs.
Historically, businesses have been free to operate without considering their carbon outputs and energy management was primarily reviewed as a cost savings exercise. However, with the overwhelming amount of scientific evidence demonstrating that business operations are having a detrimental effect on the warming of the planet, pressure has started to increase on businesses.
It is becoming an expected norm that businesses review the carbon and energy management with an objective to understand and reduce outputs.
Why is it important for businesses to introduce Carbon and Energy Management plans?
Increasingly so, supply chain pressures are demanding that businesses provide information on both carbon emissions and energy use. This is driven by an increasingly aware customer base seeking to purchase from businesses who are acting more responsibly.
This trend isn’t slowing down, a study by NYU Stern stated that sustainability-marketed products experienced 54% growth between 2015 and 2019 with customers willing to pay nearly 40% more in price than comparable, not eco products.
Falling behind on introducing a Carbon and Energy Management plan may cost your business in the future, the time to act is now.
I need a Carbon and Energy Management plan – where do I start?
There’s no need to get overwhelmed by Carbon and Energy Management. Consider approaching it in three simple steps:
Step 1: Understand the problem – By conducting Carbon footprinting you will understand how much carbon you are producing and how much energy you are using. From here you’ll be able to benchmark against others in your sector and start to understand your environmental impact.
Step 2: Identify solutions – Once you know what you’re producing it will be easier to see where your issues are. From here you can research and identify areas of good practice, conduct cost benefit analysis on potential solutions and begin to prioritise your carbon and energy management actions.
Step 3: Implement solutions – There’s no point in planning if you’re not going to follow through. At stage 3 you’ll begin to introduce your carbon saving solutions, some might be quick wins, others may be long term projects. It’s important that your plan has clear time frames which you can share with your stakeholders so they understand your journey to sustainability.
Get support with your Carbon and Energy Management
If you’d like support with any stage of your Carbon and Energy Management plan please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
Our team of consultants can provide you with external assurance for your carbon and energy reporting as well as providing expert advice on opportunities for improvement and supporting change management within your business.
