Reducing CO₂ emissions: 10 effective tips for companies
Tobias Martetschlaeger
8Min. reading time
Corporate Sustainability
The urgency of climate change makes it necessary for companies to take immediate action to reduce their CO2 emissions. In this article, we present 10 practical tips that your company can implement to significantly reduce CO2 emissions. From sustainable sourcing to energy-efficient lighting, these tips cover a range of areas where companies can make a positive contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change. By implementing these measures, your company can demonstrate the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and promote a healthier and more sustainable future.
10 Tips for Companies to Reduce Their CO2 Emissions
Pay attention to sustainable sourcing
Encourage waste prevention and recycling
Support green commuting
Improve building insulation
Conduct regular maintenance
Encourage remote work
Train your employees
Reduce business travel
Switch to LED lighting
Use energy management software
How exactly can you improve your company's CO2 balance?
Tip 1: Pay attention to sustainable sourcing
Sustainable sourcing is the commitment of organizations to procure goods and services in an environmentally friendly, responsible, and ethical manner. It concerns how companies can identify and reduce the environmental impacts of their supply chains. Sustainable sourcing is a key factor of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), or corporate social responsibility. It is undeniable that food scarcity, global warming, and the impacts of population on the Earth are largely attributed to industry. Sustainable sourcing enables these sectors and organizations to play a leading role in reversing this damage. Sustainable sourcing shows that your company is aware of future impacts and takes them into account in its purchasing decisions.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 2: Encourage waste prevention and recycling
Generally, the rule is: The less waste you produce, the better for the environment and the CO2 balance. Also, pay attention to reuse. You can find environmentally friendly alternatives in zero-waste shops for less waste in your office. Of course, the measures in the “office” category do not reduce your CO2 emissions nearly as much as those related to mobility. Nevertheless, a climate-conscious company should also focus on these measures to ensure a healthy and green working environment. Since CO2 is not the only problem, measures for waste separation, plastic avoidance, and using sustainable raw materials should not be underestimated. To reduce CO2 emissions, your company can implement an environmentally friendly waste management system and get certified voluntarily to show that you take your environmental responsibility seriously. Furthermore, you can promote the use of digital files and signatures and utilize common drivers and file clouds to avoid prints and bulky storage boxes.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 3: Support green commuting
Companies can reduce their CO2 emissions by promoting environmentally friendly commuting practices. This includes choosing an office location with easy access to low-emission public transport and good infrastructure for cyclists or pedestrians. Additionally, implementing carpooling and subsidy programs for carsharing is advisable. Flexible work programs can also be introduced to reduce the need for commuting overall. Promoting the use of public transport, cycling, and walking can have a significant impact on reducing your company’s CO2 emissions. By introducing and promoting such practices among your employees, your company can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future.
Tip 4: Improve building insulation
To reduce CO2 emissions and heating costs, insulating the office building is crucial. Old buildings can be retrofitted through thermal renovation, and new buildings can focus on energy efficiency from the start. Generally, the rule is: 6% less CO2 and energy for a temperature reduction of 1 degree Celsius. A minimal change can have a significant impact on the environmental balance. Constantly open windows ensure plenty of fresh air, but they also unfortunately lead to a significant loss of heat. By installing a smart thermostat, you can optimally regulate your office climate. The thermostat allows for constant temperature regulation and automatic shutdown after hours, as there is no need for heating at night.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 5: Conduct regular maintenance
To reduce CO2 emissions, it is important to establish a program for the maintenance of the devices used in the operation and the buildings as a whole. This way, your company can avoid the need for new devices by extending the lifespan of existing ones through regular maintenance. One of the most common issues leading to energy waste in production facilities is leaks. It is advisable to conduct leak checks as part of the general maintenance of your facilities. This way, you can detect and address leaks before they become a bigger problem. ? You are halfway there! Continue reading to gather more valuable tips and tricks for CO2 reduction for your company.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
🚀 You are halfway there! Continue reading to gather more valuable tips and tricks for CO2 reduction for your company.
Tip 6: Encourage remote work
Encourage remote work The opportunity to work from home can offer many benefits for employees and your company: As commuting times shorten, fuel is saved especially. But also heating and electricity per employee in the company are reduced, as spatially flexible work leads to a reduction in heated, lit, and ventilated workspaces. An employee also produces emissions at home — but they are lower. This saves energy in your company and minimizes the stress of commuting for your employees. More work from home can contribute to climate protection: If 10% of employees in Germany worked for one day a week from home, around 4.5 billion kilometers of commuting distance and approximately 850,000 tons of CO2 could be saved per year. If it were 20%, it would even be 1.7 million tons.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 7: Train your employees
To strengthen the conviction and attitude of employees that they can really do something against climate change, it is important to invest in training employees on sustainability and create systems and processes that make it easier for employees to incorporate sustainability into their business decisions. Many sustainability initiatives require specific knowledge and expertise, such as discussions with supplying companies about sustainable sourcing or using an eco-efficiency tool to assess a new product.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 8: Reduce business travel
The easiest way to reduce your company’s CO2 emissions is by reducing air travel. For short domestic routes, it is advisable to switch to the train. This may extend travel time, but it is less stressful, more comfortable, and often even cheaper. Train stations are often more centrally located than airports, making access easier. You can also switch to long-distance buses. Nowadays, conferences and meetings can also be held online via video conference. High-quality video conferencing systems are a sensible investment as they offer an alternative to common flights and are more convenient for employees. This way, hotel costs can also be lowered. On intercontinental flights, a business flight generates two to three times as much CO2 as an economy flight. Seats in first class even release up to six times as much CO2. Therefore, it is more environmentally friendly to fly in economy class on long-haul flights.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 9: Switch to LED lighting
Switching to LED lighting brings many advantages in addition to significant CO2 reduction. Let's take a look at some of the findings from a scientific study that compared LED and fluorescent lamps in various categories (Edirisinghe et al., 2016):
Energy consumption: LED lighting helped save 40% of the energy compared to fluorescent lamps.
Work performance: About 65% rated work performance under LED lamps as excellent.
Environmental and health impacts: The ecological balance of LED lamps showed that they are less environmentally harmful compared to fluorescent tubes and other light sources. It has been reported that most fluorescent lamps contain up to 40 mg of mercury, contributing to environmental pollution and presenting a chronic health risk for humans due to neuropsychological damage.
Considering the aforementioned risks and health hazards of fluorescent lamps, LED lighting can be regarded as environmentally friendly. Although the initial investment in LED lamps is higher than that of fluorescent lamps, there are only low or no maintenance costs, and the lower energy consumption is another advantage.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 10: Use energy management software
Companies are responsible for calculating their emissions and tracking progress toward achieving climate goals. One of the simplest ways to do this is to incorporate management software. The software from Global Changer is the perfect tool with which your company can monitor its CO2e emissions and reduce them through the implementation of reduction measures explicitly selected for the company profile .
The software also has project management features that allow sustainability managers or those tasked with decarbonizing your company to assign reduction measures to employees within or outside the sustainability department and track their actions. Finally, the platform offers forecasting and overview graphics to help quickly identify the status quo and progress of the company.
FAQ
How can a company reduce CO2 emissions?
A company can reduce CO2 emissions by implementing sustainable sourcing practices, promoting waste prevention and recycling, supporting environmentally friendly commuting, improving building insulation, conducting regular maintenance, encouraging remote work, training employees, reducing business travel, switching to LED lighting, and utilizing energy management software.
What are the immediate benefits for companies that reduce CO2 emissions?
Companies that reduce their CO2 emissions can benefit in many ways: They can demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR), improve their reputation with customers and investors, lower costs through energy efficiency and waste reduction, and comply with regulatory requirements.
How can companies measure and track their progress in CO2 reduction?
Companies can measure and track their progress in CO2 reduction by using energy management software such as the Climate Control Center. The platform offers forecasting and overview graphics to help quickly recognize the status quo and progress of the company. The software also features project management capabilities, allowing sustainability managers or those tasked with implementing the company's decarbonization to assign reduction measures to employees within or outside the sustainability department and track their actions.
* For easier readability, we use the term CO2. However, we mean it here in a broader sense, in terms of "CO2 equivalents" or CO2e. CO2e is a metric used to measure the climate impact of all greenhouse gases by converting their emissions into an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide based on their global warming potential. In discussions about CO2 reduction in companies, it is generally better to use CO2e because it provides a more comprehensive picture of a company's total emissions by taking into account not only carbon dioxide but also other significant greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide.
Sources
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Tips to Reduce Your Emissions. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/climate-action/climate-neutral-now/i-am-a-company/organization/reductions-org
ABB. Busch-Presence detectors brochure 2018 English. Retrieved from https://library.e.abb.com/public/4cf9c3b84ce445c99955db421891ff68/Busch-Presence detectors_brochure_rev2018_English.pdf
EUbusiness News. 6 ways the manufacturing sector can reduce carbon emissions. Retrieved from https://www.eubusinessnews.com/6-ways-the-manufacturing-sector-can-reduce-carbon-emissions/
Tagesspiegel. How much CO2 Germany could save with more home office. Retrieved from https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/wie-viel-co2-deutschland-mit-mehr-home-office-sparen-konnte-4133095.html
Stanford Social Innovation Review. Engaging Employees to Create a Sustainable Business. Retrieved from https://ssir.org/articles/entry/engaging_employees_to_create_a_sustainable_business#
World Bank. Blog: Carbon Footprint of World Bank Group Staff Air Travel. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/blog-carbon-footprint-world-bank-group-staff-air-travel
Edirisinghe, Kamal & Abeyweera, Ruchira & Senanayake, N.. (2016). Evaluation of Effectiveness of LED Lighting in Buildings. SLEMA Jornal. 19. 10.4038/slemaj.v19i2.10.
Images: Unsplash.com
The urgency of climate change makes it necessary for companies to take immediate action to reduce their CO2 emissions. In this article, we present 10 practical tips that your company can implement to significantly reduce CO2 emissions. From sustainable sourcing to energy-efficient lighting, these tips cover a range of areas where companies can make a positive contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change. By implementing these measures, your company can demonstrate the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and promote a healthier and more sustainable future.
10 Tips for Companies to Reduce Their CO2 Emissions
Pay attention to sustainable sourcing
Encourage waste prevention and recycling
Support green commuting
Improve building insulation
Conduct regular maintenance
Encourage remote work
Train your employees
Reduce business travel
Switch to LED lighting
Use energy management software
How exactly can you improve your company's CO2 balance?
Tip 1: Pay attention to sustainable sourcing
Sustainable sourcing is the commitment of organizations to procure goods and services in an environmentally friendly, responsible, and ethical manner. It concerns how companies can identify and reduce the environmental impacts of their supply chains. Sustainable sourcing is a key factor of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), or corporate social responsibility. It is undeniable that food scarcity, global warming, and the impacts of population on the Earth are largely attributed to industry. Sustainable sourcing enables these sectors and organizations to play a leading role in reversing this damage. Sustainable sourcing shows that your company is aware of future impacts and takes them into account in its purchasing decisions.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 2: Encourage waste prevention and recycling
Generally, the rule is: The less waste you produce, the better for the environment and the CO2 balance. Also, pay attention to reuse. You can find environmentally friendly alternatives in zero-waste shops for less waste in your office. Of course, the measures in the “office” category do not reduce your CO2 emissions nearly as much as those related to mobility. Nevertheless, a climate-conscious company should also focus on these measures to ensure a healthy and green working environment. Since CO2 is not the only problem, measures for waste separation, plastic avoidance, and using sustainable raw materials should not be underestimated. To reduce CO2 emissions, your company can implement an environmentally friendly waste management system and get certified voluntarily to show that you take your environmental responsibility seriously. Furthermore, you can promote the use of digital files and signatures and utilize common drivers and file clouds to avoid prints and bulky storage boxes.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 3: Support green commuting
Companies can reduce their CO2 emissions by promoting environmentally friendly commuting practices. This includes choosing an office location with easy access to low-emission public transport and good infrastructure for cyclists or pedestrians. Additionally, implementing carpooling and subsidy programs for carsharing is advisable. Flexible work programs can also be introduced to reduce the need for commuting overall. Promoting the use of public transport, cycling, and walking can have a significant impact on reducing your company’s CO2 emissions. By introducing and promoting such practices among your employees, your company can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future.
Tip 4: Improve building insulation
To reduce CO2 emissions and heating costs, insulating the office building is crucial. Old buildings can be retrofitted through thermal renovation, and new buildings can focus on energy efficiency from the start. Generally, the rule is: 6% less CO2 and energy for a temperature reduction of 1 degree Celsius. A minimal change can have a significant impact on the environmental balance. Constantly open windows ensure plenty of fresh air, but they also unfortunately lead to a significant loss of heat. By installing a smart thermostat, you can optimally regulate your office climate. The thermostat allows for constant temperature regulation and automatic shutdown after hours, as there is no need for heating at night.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 5: Conduct regular maintenance
To reduce CO2 emissions, it is important to establish a program for the maintenance of the devices used in the operation and the buildings as a whole. This way, your company can avoid the need for new devices by extending the lifespan of existing ones through regular maintenance. One of the most common issues leading to energy waste in production facilities is leaks. It is advisable to conduct leak checks as part of the general maintenance of your facilities. This way, you can detect and address leaks before they become a bigger problem. ? You are halfway there! Continue reading to gather more valuable tips and tricks for CO2 reduction for your company.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
🚀 You are halfway there! Continue reading to gather more valuable tips and tricks for CO2 reduction for your company.
Tip 6: Encourage remote work
Encourage remote work The opportunity to work from home can offer many benefits for employees and your company: As commuting times shorten, fuel is saved especially. But also heating and electricity per employee in the company are reduced, as spatially flexible work leads to a reduction in heated, lit, and ventilated workspaces. An employee also produces emissions at home — but they are lower. This saves energy in your company and minimizes the stress of commuting for your employees. More work from home can contribute to climate protection: If 10% of employees in Germany worked for one day a week from home, around 4.5 billion kilometers of commuting distance and approximately 850,000 tons of CO2 could be saved per year. If it were 20%, it would even be 1.7 million tons.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 7: Train your employees
To strengthen the conviction and attitude of employees that they can really do something against climate change, it is important to invest in training employees on sustainability and create systems and processes that make it easier for employees to incorporate sustainability into their business decisions. Many sustainability initiatives require specific knowledge and expertise, such as discussions with supplying companies about sustainable sourcing or using an eco-efficiency tool to assess a new product.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 8: Reduce business travel
The easiest way to reduce your company’s CO2 emissions is by reducing air travel. For short domestic routes, it is advisable to switch to the train. This may extend travel time, but it is less stressful, more comfortable, and often even cheaper. Train stations are often more centrally located than airports, making access easier. You can also switch to long-distance buses. Nowadays, conferences and meetings can also be held online via video conference. High-quality video conferencing systems are a sensible investment as they offer an alternative to common flights and are more convenient for employees. This way, hotel costs can also be lowered. On intercontinental flights, a business flight generates two to three times as much CO2 as an economy flight. Seats in first class even release up to six times as much CO2. Therefore, it is more environmentally friendly to fly in economy class on long-haul flights.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 9: Switch to LED lighting
Switching to LED lighting brings many advantages in addition to significant CO2 reduction. Let's take a look at some of the findings from a scientific study that compared LED and fluorescent lamps in various categories (Edirisinghe et al., 2016):
Energy consumption: LED lighting helped save 40% of the energy compared to fluorescent lamps.
Work performance: About 65% rated work performance under LED lamps as excellent.
Environmental and health impacts: The ecological balance of LED lamps showed that they are less environmentally harmful compared to fluorescent tubes and other light sources. It has been reported that most fluorescent lamps contain up to 40 mg of mercury, contributing to environmental pollution and presenting a chronic health risk for humans due to neuropsychological damage.
Considering the aforementioned risks and health hazards of fluorescent lamps, LED lighting can be regarded as environmentally friendly. Although the initial investment in LED lamps is higher than that of fluorescent lamps, there are only low or no maintenance costs, and the lower energy consumption is another advantage.
▶︎ Here you can find more information on this topic
Tip 10: Use energy management software
Companies are responsible for calculating their emissions and tracking progress toward achieving climate goals. One of the simplest ways to do this is to incorporate management software. The software from Global Changer is the perfect tool with which your company can monitor its CO2e emissions and reduce them through the implementation of reduction measures explicitly selected for the company profile .
The software also has project management features that allow sustainability managers or those tasked with decarbonizing your company to assign reduction measures to employees within or outside the sustainability department and track their actions. Finally, the platform offers forecasting and overview graphics to help quickly identify the status quo and progress of the company.
FAQ
How can a company reduce CO2 emissions?
A company can reduce CO2 emissions by implementing sustainable sourcing practices, promoting waste prevention and recycling, supporting environmentally friendly commuting, improving building insulation, conducting regular maintenance, encouraging remote work, training employees, reducing business travel, switching to LED lighting, and utilizing energy management software.
What are the immediate benefits for companies that reduce CO2 emissions?
Companies that reduce their CO2 emissions can benefit in many ways: They can demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR), improve their reputation with customers and investors, lower costs through energy efficiency and waste reduction, and comply with regulatory requirements.
How can companies measure and track their progress in CO2 reduction?
Companies can measure and track their progress in CO2 reduction by using energy management software such as the Climate Control Center. The platform offers forecasting and overview graphics to help quickly recognize the status quo and progress of the company. The software also features project management capabilities, allowing sustainability managers or those tasked with implementing the company's decarbonization to assign reduction measures to employees within or outside the sustainability department and track their actions.
* For easier readability, we use the term CO2. However, we mean it here in a broader sense, in terms of "CO2 equivalents" or CO2e. CO2e is a metric used to measure the climate impact of all greenhouse gases by converting their emissions into an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide based on their global warming potential. In discussions about CO2 reduction in companies, it is generally better to use CO2e because it provides a more comprehensive picture of a company's total emissions by taking into account not only carbon dioxide but also other significant greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide.
Sources
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Tips to Reduce Your Emissions. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/climate-action/climate-neutral-now/i-am-a-company/organization/reductions-org
ABB. Busch-Presence detectors brochure 2018 English. Retrieved from https://library.e.abb.com/public/4cf9c3b84ce445c99955db421891ff68/Busch-Presence detectors_brochure_rev2018_English.pdf
EUbusiness News. 6 ways the manufacturing sector can reduce carbon emissions. Retrieved from https://www.eubusinessnews.com/6-ways-the-manufacturing-sector-can-reduce-carbon-emissions/
Tagesspiegel. How much CO2 Germany could save with more home office. Retrieved from https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/wie-viel-co2-deutschland-mit-mehr-home-office-sparen-konnte-4133095.html
Stanford Social Innovation Review. Engaging Employees to Create a Sustainable Business. Retrieved from https://ssir.org/articles/entry/engaging_employees_to_create_a_sustainable_business#
World Bank. Blog: Carbon Footprint of World Bank Group Staff Air Travel. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/blog-carbon-footprint-world-bank-group-staff-air-travel
Edirisinghe, Kamal & Abeyweera, Ruchira & Senanayake, N.. (2016). Evaluation of Effectiveness of LED Lighting in Buildings. SLEMA Jornal. 19. 10.4038/slemaj.v19i2.10.
Images: Unsplash.com
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