Launching a business is a tricky task, and for many SMEs notions of creating sustainable eco-friendly practices are not that high up on their to do lists.
Hoping to make things simpler for SMEs is Small99 which has launched a tool to help them on their journey to be as eco-friendly as possible.
‘Your Carbon Calculator’ is a quick and easy assessment, taking just a few minutes to complete. It asks business owners 30 questions, to produce a scorecard to guide businesses in their next steps.
The tool covers all aspects of business, from supply chains to how employees get to work and there’s a particular focus on energy consumption.
The tool then offers specific advice on how SMEs can reduce their carbon footprint by, for example, by switching energy suppliers or changing transports options.
Adam Bastock from Small99 said: “Too many small businesses are struggling to find practical advice that actually applies to how their business operates.
“When assessing their business’ impact on the environment, it can get quickly overwhelming. Getting wrapped up in measurements and numbers takes the focus off of making practical decisions, which is what we hope the scorecard will help to alleviate.
“In fact, we often see that a barrier to change is fear of doing something wrong. This tool will point SMEs in the right direction, building up a policy of change, instead of never reducing emissions ‘just incase’.
“This tool offers us a simple way to produce an overall ‘score’ and from there, we can take the steps to improve their carbon footprint. We hope to see this inspire many SMEs, and help them to understand that going green doesn’t have to be an uphill battle.”
“We want to inspire business owners, not put them off. To do so, we need to look at the total carbon budget of the company. From the cars staff are driving to work, to their delivery vans, to what their waste recycling looks like and materials used in their packaging.
