What Can I Do To Reduce My Carbon Footprint?
Today some of the main aspects of environmental concern include water and air quality, waste reduction, and alternative sources of
Today some of the main aspects of environmental concern include water and air quality, waste reduction, and alternative sources of
Today some of the main aspects of environmental concern include water and air quality, waste reduction, and alternative sources of energy.
At Energy Professionals we consider that every business shares a responsibility in becoming more sustainable and helping protect our environment. As a business owner or an employee at a business, we urge that you think about what you can do to help reduce your business’ carbon footprint and help contribute to the overall solution.
Being very busy with your day to day business concerns, maybe becoming more sustainable isn’t something you think about often, maybe you don’t believe that your business will heavily impact the environment, or maybe becoming more sustainable is something you’re totally passionate about. No matter your stance is on the subject, we believe you can probably name two or three things you are doing every day to help reduce waste, use less energy, and help the environment in some way or another. In fact, recent survey results show that most Americans incorporate some specific action in their daily lives that protect their environment.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to ignore the billions of pounds of harmful pollution caused by burning fossil fuels to create energy, the piles of trash and waste that build up on coast lines, or the poor air quality that people in large cities breathe day in and day out.
In this article we’ll give you a few simple things you can do to help reduce your business’ carbon footprint, but before we jump into that, we wanted to start by addressing two very important points:
When thinking about sustainable solutions for your business the thought may cross your mind, “will reducing the “small” amount of pollution or waste that my business produces really make a difference?”
The fundamental truth is, we are collectively what we do as individuals. if you think about it, you cannot get through a single day without having some kind of impact on the people and the world around you. What you do does make a difference, you just have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
Doing your part to become more sustainable not only reduces the overall load, but it also sets an example for your competitors, employees, and even your clients.
As more and more people become aware of the environment, employees and customers both prefer business who are sustainable. A recent article written by entrepreneur.com shows how becoming sustainable will positively impact your company two fold:
“This is official validation for how energy and sustainability work together to boost your top-line revenue growth and your profitability at the same time. Your business can ride this tsunami wave by gaining market share from the rapidly growing number of environmentally responsible consumers or your business can lag the market and peers by ignoring this trend.”
Many people are still uncertain about sustainable solutions because they don’t know a lot about them and because many sustainable or renewable solutions require a new installation.
While a lot of research over the last several decades has helped develop more effective and more reliable solutions, most of that research was spent to make sustainable solutions available to everyone.
Even today, when we bring sustainable and renewable solutions down to consumer level, in most cases cost is the major concern. Think about it. Would you implement a solution in your business if it costs you more than it made you every year? Probably not!
Today, be it a solar installation for your business, water quality or air quality solutions, waste management, and so on, there are not only numerous solutions applicable to your specific situation, but every single one of them are designed to be affordable and produce ROI in the long run. Many solutions can even be implemented with no out of pocket costs and zero upfront fees. Add to the mix federal and state level incentives that exist for business who use renewable energy and implement energy savings solutions and today, becoming sustainable has never been easier and has never been more affordable.
Here are some simple things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and become more sustainable:
Measure and analyze your carbon footprint.
With just a little information about your business, there are various online tools that will help you see how much carbon emissions your company produces. Energy Professionals also offers a unique power factor correction tool that improve the quality of your power while it helps measure and reduce your business’ overall carbon footprint, providing real time information and analytics into your energy use.
Reduce your overall energy consumption.
As mentioned before, today many solutions exist that enable you to use your electricity more efficiently, thereby reducing your overall energy consumption and costs. For example, if you’re air conditioner or air handlers are more than 10 years old, chances are they are using way more electricity than they need to be. Our HVAC New Life program uses proprietary technology to restore your HVAC systems to like-new condition not only improving air flow and air quality but also reducing your HVAC’s energy spend by up to 40%.
Use renewable energy.
Using renewable energy is one of the biggest steps you can take towards becoming more sustainable. But many businesses don’t own their buildings or don’t want to put solar panels on their property. No matter your unique situation, Energy Professionals can help you take advantage of renewable energy. Be it by helping you source all your energy from renewable energy production or connecting you to a local solar farm through our community solar programs.
Reduce waste.
It may not seem like a lot, but trash and waste used by all businesses in your vicinity adds up, not to mention the amount of waste all businesses in America produce. Simple things like employing metal utensils at work, supplying your employees with coffee mugs instead of having disposable cups at the coffee station, and even reducing the amount of paper used and printed. All these things add up to help reduce your businesses overall carbon footprint.
Encourage the use of electric cars.
Many studies done show a dramatic increase in the use of electric vehicles over the next 20-50 years. Whereas some years ago an electric car was a rather new concept, today you see electric cars and vehicles being produced by every major car brand and being used by people and businesses as a way to reduce their carbon footprint. The next time you park your car at work look around and see if there are any electric cars. Well, what are you doing to help increase the number of electric cars? Do you offer charging stations for your employees and do you encourage your employees to use electric vehicles?
Choose sustainable suppliers
Just like employees and clients prefer to work for and do business with a sustainable business, so should you. Review the suppliers that supply your business with the materials you need and see which ones are sustainable. Perhaps sustainable companies exist that offer better quality products or better pricing options.
While these are some things you can do to be more sustainable, today there are many ways to be more environmentally friendly that we didn’t cover. Being strong believers in the need to be more sustainable, Energy Professionals offers consultations to any business owner or employee who wishes to find ways to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies.
Energy Professionals is committed to finding its customers the best possible rates on electricity and natural gas. Tell us your location and service type and our energy manager will connect you to the most competitive offers.
Switching to an alternate supplier is easy. There is no chance of service disruption, and you'll continue with your current utility for energy delivery and emergency service. Take a few minutes to discover your best offers, and enjoy the benefits of retail energy in your home or business.
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