Making Your Business Carbon Neutral

However, you may be surprised to hear that the advantages of carbon neutrality stretch well beyond saving the environment: going green can have a powerful and positive impact on your business’s bottom line.

But how do you go carbon neutral? If, like many business owners, you like the idea of reducing your business’s carbon footprint but haven’t found the time to make it happen, this guide will walk you through actionable steps to start cutting your carbon footprint today.

Want to help your business go carbon neutral?

We all know that human activity is causing the earth’s temperatures to rise, a phenomenon called global warming. But what difference can you really make?

If you’ve heard about going ‘carbon neutral’ but don’t know where to start, this is the guide you need.

Why be eco-friendly?

Simple. All the exhaust fumes from our cars, from power stations, to plastic bottles, food packaging and other waste items are all adding up. Greenhouse gases are a big part of the problem, a problem that grows each year, although the rate of growth is slowing thanks to governments taking real steps to reduce emissions.

Greenhouse Gases 101

First, a quick and simple science lesson. Greenhouse gases, which include carbon dioxide, methane and ozone, occur naturally in the earth’s atmosphere. They are essential to life as we know it. Without them, the average global temperature would be a teeth-chattering -18ºc.

But the human race has been pumping so many greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that we’re upsetting the system’s natural balance and causing global temperatures to rise. Since 1750, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has risen by around 40%.

As you probably know, greenhouse gases help some of the sun’s heat stay within the earth’s atmosphere, keeping us warm. Add more greenhouse gases and the temperature rises, meaning less heat can escape.

Almost everything we do has a carbon footprint. Let’s start small. Think about the coffee you’re drinking right now (ok, you might not be drinking anything, but let’s imagine)  – we’ll assume it’s in a mug, because you really don’t want to know how bad take away coffee cups are for the environment. The water needed to be heated using energy, the coffee beans probably needed to be transported from another country (using fossil fuels), and the mug itself needed to be fired in a furnace (likely heated by fossil fuels again). Your innocent cup of coffee just cost 53g in carbon dioxide emissions, and it gets worse. A large latte could rack up a carbon bill of 340g. Compare that to your car, which probably produces about 4.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year and you’re racking up a large carbon bill.

OK, so what can I do?

China’s production powerhouse is making electronics more affordable than ever, and it’s helping to meet a rising demand for solar panels. These cheaper components have pushed down the cost of producing renewable energy. Combined with bipartisan international initiatives like the Paris Climate Agreement and Kyoto Protocol, almost every major government on earth is facing in the same direction.

We absolutely must reduce our global carbon emissions.

The tide is turning

Unfortunately, society’s progress towards cutting carbon emissions and slowing climate change still isn’t enough. The Paris Climate Agreement set targets to keep global warming to only 2ºc above temperatures found in the days before the industrial revolution. But at current rates we’re looking at a rise in temperatures way above 2ºc. And that means melting ice caps, rising waters, and millions of people potentially displaced and homeless. Major coastal cities like New York, Shanghai and Rio could be underwater by 2100.

The changes required start at a national governmental level, but luckily there’s also a lot we can do as individuals and small businesses, to reduce our impact on the environment. And we all know that saving energy means saving money. A report co-authored by the WWF shows that energy savings and lower carbon emissions go hand-in-hand.

Over the past decade, the cost of wind, solar, and battery storage has dropped by as much as 85%, while global renewable energy capacity has nearly doubled. 

Our tips to help your business on your path to being carbon neutral

• Make sure your next car is at least partially electric-powered
• Purchase an electric vehicle (or a fleet of electric vehicles)

Easier said than done - any new vehicle is still a major investment. But the EV revolution continues to gain momentum. DHL's early purchase of 10 Tesla Semi trucks has evolved into a broader plan: following a successful test phase, DHL Supply Chain USA is now preparing to integrate the powerful electric semis into its logistics network. Tesla aims to begin series production of the Semi in 2026. Electric vehicles are more expensive (for the moment, at least), but they will save you money on running costs – up to $1,600 a year by some estimates. So make sure your next car is at least partially electric-powered.

What else can I do to help my organization go carbon neutral?

• Use recycled stationery and materials wherever possible. And make sure you recycle as much as possible.
• Look into getting certified under ISO50001, the international standard for efficient energy management systems. Organizations like the Carbon Trust can help asses and certify your organization as carbon neutral.
• Buy locally sourced goods. Since 1992, the amount of food imported by air has risen 140%. Let’s get that figure down.
• Install solar panels. Government subsidies and plummeting retail costs means solar is rapidly becoming a sensible, reliable and affordable energy source. Generate enough solar energy and you could even earn money by selling it on, to a traditional electricity provider.
• Increase your use of renewable energy. Most major energy suppliers now offer a reasonably priced partial or total renewable energy tariff.
• Use biodegradable cleaning solutions. Sure, no cleaning fluid is 100% environmentally friendly, but some are better than others. Look for trusted marks like the EU’s Ecolabel.
• Use low-energy lights. Running costs for traditional incandescent light bulbs can be around 10x the amount of low energy or LED bulbs. Traditional bulbs are incredibly inefficient: they waste 95% of their energy as heat, not light.
• Replace older appliances with greener (and cheaper to run) modern models with ‘A’ energy ratings or higher.
• Provide your staff with reusable water bottles to cut down on plastic waste
• Take advantage of DHL’s GoGreen Plus which reduces carbon emissions through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a biofuel that is produced from renewable sources such as vegetable oils, animal fats, waste products, and agricultural crops.

Taking steps toward carbon neutrality is no longer a “nice to have,” it’s a business imperative. From cutting costs and boosting brand reputation to helping secure the future of our planet, being more sustainable is a win-win. Even small actions, when taken consistently, can lead to meaningful impact.