Carbon in Business Action Learning Sets

Chamber Low Carbon, in collaboration with UCLAN, is offering a series of six fully funded sustainability workshops for businesses in Burnley, Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Lancaster, Pendle and Preston.

Carbon – The next Steps

Turning your carbon reduction plans into action is an exciting step towards a more sustainable future for your business! You will need a roadmap to prioritise.

1. Assess and Prioritise:

• Measure your baseline (we can help you to do that by accessing your current footprint): Conduct a carbon footprint assessment to understand your current emissions across all scopes (direct, indirect, and value chain – Scope 1 through to 3 emissions).

• Set realistic goals: Aim for ambitious yet achievable targets, aligned with scientific recommendations and industry benchmarks. Prioritise high-impact areas based on your assessment. Working towards Net Zero for your company is a big commitment but can be implemented in stages for your business. It does not have to be all at once.

2. Implement Strategies:

• Energy efficiency: Retrofitting buildings, upgrading equipment, optimising lighting, and HVAC systems, switching to renewable energy sources. Again, this does not have to be all at once. We can offer a report and statement service so you can see the most impactful and viable options for your business. Business models can change how these reports look.

• Travel and transportation: This does not just involve electrifying your fleet overnight. There is behaviour change recommendations that can work. Encourage remote work, implement green travel policies, optimise coordination, use electric vehicles when feasible, fleet vehicles but also industrial vehicles such as forklift trucks your business may use.

• Resource management: Following on from our earlier session on the circular economy. Research how your business can Reduce, reuse, and recycle materials. Implement sustainable procurement practices, this can be within your business scope 1 and 2 emissions but also scope 3 emissions in your wider supply chain.

• Engaging your team: Educate and empower employees through training, communication, and incentive programs. Encourage green behaviour in the workplace. Communication can be notices and statistics around your business, you can implement things like green travel registering from cycle to work schemes or my expensive benefits such as EV (Electric Vehicle) charging points.

3. Action and Monitoring:

• Develop detailed action plans: Specify who is responsible for each action, time, budget, and expected outcomes. Build on earlier staff engagement. Have an open policy of the wider implications to the business and knock-on effect to the wider environment.

• Regularly monitor progress: Track your emissions reduction against your goals. Use data to identify areas for improvement and adjust your strategies, again involve all your stakeholders in this process, be them internal or external.

• Communicate and report: Following on from the monitoring of the progress share your progress with stakeholders, employees, and the public. This demonstrates transparency and encourages others to follow suit. Companies do this and publish results on their websites to highlight to any potential new customers or partners their commitment to net zero and their true commitment to their green credentials.

Additional Tips:

• Seek external support: Utilise green business and technology experts, consultants, or technology solutions to accelerate your progress. Both we at The Centre for Waste Management and partners like the Chamber of Commerce can help you to that locally. With the backing on the government with things like their Shared Prosperity Funding which is paying for things like today.

• Collaborate with partners: Work with suppliers, customers, and industry peers to share best practices and leverage collective buying power. You can do this geographically or sectoral, chances are whatever it is you are looking to implement someone else would have tried it and could potentially partner with you, show you what pitfalls to avoid or advice a different route to take.

• Invest in innovation: Explore emerging technologies and solutions that can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Hire professionals to give you the right advice to avoid wasting time and resources on analysing something that might not be implementable by your business.

Implementing carbon reduction plans is an ongoing journey, with businesses committing to the next 25+ years of carbon reduction. Be prepared to adapt and iterate as you learn, progress, and grow or a business or even shrink. By taking consistent action. You may encounter modern technologies and practices along the way but by taking consistent action, you can make a significant contribution to a low-carbon future for your business and the planet.

Lunch will be provided

If you would like more information on the course content, please contact https://www.chamberlowcarbon.co.uk/contact/

These workshops are open to businesses in Burnley, Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Lancaster, Pendle and Preston.

Host or Publisher Chamber Low Carbon