Establishing the business case for comprehensive carbon management.
The reasons for companies to manage their carbon impact are as diverse as they are compelling. Understanding the the political and economic drivers, and your stakeholder expectations, can help you to plan an appropriate response to the challenges of climate change.
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Reduce costs
Your biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions are often the items that cost you money: fuel, electricity, raw materials, business travel and waste disposal. Reducing your carbon footprint will deliver savings that support both your environmental and financial goals.
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Protect and strengthen your brand
A report by the Carbon Trust indicates that climate change has put over £20 billion of brand equity at risk. Properly developing and communicating your low-carbon credentials will help your business stay on top and benefit from access to considerable media content dedicated to green and sustainability issues.
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Comply with legislation
Governments around the world are enacting new rules that will force companies to measure and reduce their carbon footprints, such as the CRC Energy Efficiency scheme in the UK. Carbon Clear can help you understand how legislation affects your business and how to develop an optimal compliance strategy.
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Differentiate From Your Competitors
Due to the focus on corporate social responsibility (CSR), most companies have now implemented some form of environmental policy. As consumers become increasingly informed and proactive, only companies with comprehensive, credible and transparent carbon management programmes will be rewarded in the marketplace.
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Win New Business
Consumer demand for environmentally sound products and services is growing rapidly, and increasingly focus is upon the whole supply chain and not just the end product. For this reason, many companies now take the environmental record of their suppliers into account during procurement decisions and have developed supply chain CSR policies. Strong environmental credentials can help you to attract new business and strengthen your existing relationships.
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Retain, Recruit and Train Staff
Employees expect their companies to be good corporate citizens and research shows that the best candidates increasingly prioritise the CSR record of employers. Developing a comprehensive carbon reduction plan demonstrates your commitment to environmental goals, strengthens morale and can contribute to a lower organisational carbon footprint.
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Get ahead of the game
There is no doubt about: in the future environmental legislation is going to get tougher and wider-reaching, and consumers and supply chain purchasers are going to get better at differentiating environmentally responsible products and services. Organisations that put robust carbon and environmental strategies in place now will be those that can respond with agility to new demands and market opportunities.