How to Take Tangible Steps Towards Net Zero

Organisations of all sizes have a responsibility to lower carbon emissions, with many making an all-important Net Zero pledge, but where can well-meaning businesses who haven’t yet started the process begin?

Following the crucial discussions held at last year’s COP26, the pressure is on for company leaders to lower carbon emissions and find a greener way of conducting business. With that pressure, also comes opportunity: the opportunity to become a platform for change, to move with the times, and to reap the business benefits that come along with being more sustainable. 

In order to take tangible steps towards this goal, awareness and accountability are key. 

 

Understand the Risks

Chief executives cited climate change as the number one risk to their organisation’s growth. These forward-thinking business leaders are tackling their organisations’ carbon emissions head on, with companies from all sectors making carbon neutral and carbon negative pledges, within a timeframe that’s realistic for them. 

The ins-and-outs of climate change are well documented at this point, but the key to making progress here is understanding where your organisation fits in with the issue, and how it can become part of the solution. This means identifying your organisation’s practices that generate excess carbon: looking at suppliers, the impact of business travel, waste management, and more.

 

Spread Awareness

87% of consumers believe companies should integrate environmental concerns into their products, services, and operations to a greater extent than they have in the past. In other words, your customers are already very aware of the issue, but what about your internal teams?

Team training and education – from new recruits, all the way up to board level – is paramount to an organisation’s success in this area. Every member of the team needs to be on board and passionate about reaching your sustainability goals, so spreading a Net Zero mission statement via internal newsletters is a great start. When communicating with the board, or C-suite level members of your organisation, pointing out that improved reputation, happier customers, and unlocking potential savings are all business benefits that can be found at the end of a sustainability journey can be a good way to secure investment towards Net Zero goals.

 

Quantify your Carbon Footprint

In order to be accountable for your organisation’s emissions, you need an in-depth understanding of your net carbon output. Looking at how much carbon your organisation is emitting – from transporting goods, packaging and product materials, office utilities, and more – can seem like a daunting task. Luckily, carbon accounting software exists to enable businesses to get their hands on these analytics faster than ever before. 

Recently, Salesforce launched its Net Zero Cloud solution – a carbon accounting system that allows organisations to calculate their carbon footprint right down to the tiniest detail. With Net Zero Cloud, carbon accounting audits can be completed within weeks, rather than months. Carbon analysis is often resource intensive, but Bluewave has partnered with Salesforce to streamline the data gathering process, turning it into a climate action plan with embedded guides and a user-friendly feel.

 

En Route to Sustainability

A bird’s eye view of your business and its carbon footprint isn’t the only thing that Salesforce Net Zero Cloud offers. With the support of Bluewave’s expert consultants, you can embed sustainability goals into your existing strategies and operating models, so the business never misses a beat. Transforming business operations with a Net Zero goal in mind doesn’t have to cause massive disruptions, in-fact it can be a value add, a great time to identify and build-in efficiencies, and a vital opportunity to identify business benefits.

By integrating data-driven insights into everything you do, you can formulate a climate action plan and easily prove to customers, employees, and investors that you have a commitment to sustainable practices – and they can watch your progress as you go. The information will also be on hand for regulatory agencies to see a clear snapshot of your energy usage patterns, and how your organisation’s carbon emissions are decreasing over time.

 

For a more in-depth look at how your organisation can reduce carbon emissions, register for our upcoming webinar today: How to Reach Net Zero, Faster.


Find out more about Salesforce Net Zero Cloud here.