How to Reduce Your Company's Carbon Footprint

 
 

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Reducing your company’s carbon footprint is essential for your long-term business strategy. In this episode, Tad explains what operational carbon is, how companies can reduce their operational carbon, and the benefits of operational carbon reduction.

What is operational carbon?

Operational carbon is the amount of carbon that is emitted during a building’s “use phase.” A building enters the use phase after it is fully constructed and starts to be used for it's intended purpose. The extraction of fossil fuels, traditional means of producing electricity, and our reliance on the combustion of fossil fuels to manufacture products creates significant carbon emissions and environmental impacts. Electricity is still pre-dominantly generated by burning coal or natural gas which releases greenhouses gases (GHG), creates solid waste, and releases other pollutants into the land and water. In 2018, electricity production is ranked as the third highest industry for releasing toxic chemicals into the air based on the EPA's toxic release inventory. Operational carbon has detrimental impacts on both our environment and human health.

How can companies reduce their operational carbon?

Many companies have set bold carbon reduction or carbon neutral goals. Below is the hierarchy of operational carbon reduction techniques:

  • Benchmark and baseline to understand energy consumption and carbon footprint

  • Conduct Sustainable Operations Assessment of company facilities

  • Implement operational and behavior changes

  • Implement building and equipment energy conservation measures

  • Purchase green power (wind, solar, hydro)

  • Consider installing on-site renewable energy

  • Purchase off-site renewable energy credits

  • Buy Carbon Offsets

what are the benefits of reducing your operational carbon?

There are so many benefits of reducing your operational carbon. Below are a few of the most important benefits:

  • Cost savings

  • Decreases environmental impacts and future liability for carbon tax

  • Supports the goals of environmental justice

  • Reduces air pollutants

  • Indirectly reduces power plant emissions and smog that are linked to asthma and other respiratory illnesses

  • Indirectly reduces the impacts of extracting fossil fuels from the earth

  • Demonstrates a company's commitment to sustainability

  • Increases employee attraction and retention

  • Meets investor and banking requirements

Reducing operational carbon may seem like a daunting task, but if we all work together we can make a significant impact.

 

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HOW TO REDUCE YOUR COMPANY’S CARBON FOOTPRINT

In this document we discuss why operational carbon is important, highlight the differences between Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, outline how companies can reduce their scope 1 and 2 emissions, offer strategies for reducing Scope 3 emissions, and so much more. Click the button below to download!

 

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