Understanding Why Your Carbon Footprint Is Big Business

Reducing your carbon footprint is universally appealing

Modern-day consumers are increasingly showing more interest in working with and buying

from businesses that have made a pledge to become more sustainable. Going green could

provide a necessary boost in positive media attention and improve the reputation of your

brand.

Additionally, in a market where it might be challenging to get ahead of bigger competing

companies, it’s important to take every opportunity you can to gain an advantage.

Showcasing your business as a sustainable or greener alternative to a competitor could

make your business stand out as the more appealing option among consumers.

Your business may be producing more CO2 than you realize

Carbon emissions are typically linked to factories and businesses that produce a clear waste

output. But digital businesses, or companies that operate predominantly online, have just as

much of a responsibility to monitor how much CO2 they produce.

While the internet may seem like an exclusively digital entity, it still has a significant impact

on a company’s carbon footprint. Experts predict that 3.7% of all greenhouse gas emissions

are created by the internet, and disturbingly, this percentage is expected to almost double by

the year 2025. It’s strange to imagine a connection between something digital and

non-tangible with carbon pollution, but the internet depends on carbon-producing factors to

ensure it functions.

Even something as simple as sending an email will increase your carbon footprint by a small

amount. The sending of a message will result in:

• 4 grams of CO2 for a standard email
• 50 grams of CO2 if you add a large attachment
• 135kg of CO2 across the course of a year

It may end up saving you money

Alongside the benefits of reducing your carbon footprint, SMEs may find that switching to a

cleaner way of doing business can also have a positive impact on their bottom line. There

are a variety of ways decreasing your CO2 output will save you money, including tax reliefs

and exemptions on goods such as company cars.

To sum up

We should all make an effort to reduce our carbon footprint – our own futures quite literally

depend on it. And, as a major part of society, businesses have a responsibility to examine

their own impact on the environment.

Reducing our carbon footprint diminishes the effects of global warming, improves public

health, lifts the global economy, and maintains biodiversity. This not only benefits us now, but

ensures a better future for generations to come.