Top 10 Things Businesses Can Do

1. Become a carbon archeologist.

Determine the activities that generate greenhouse gas emissions for your organization. These sources can vary greatly by business type. To get started on your GHG emissions calculations, download the applicable carbon inventory tools at www.ghgprotocol.org.

2. Drive Sustainability.

From a handful of company cars, to hundreds of delivery trucks, to a collection of 747s, your organization’s fleet can be responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions. Measure your current emissions and develop a plan to acquire more efficient vehicles or a strategy to travel fewer miles.

3. Upgrade your facility portfolio.

Buildings are responsible for nearly half of the energy use in the U.S. Review the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system and EPA’s Energy Star program. Both address energy use in new and existing buildings. In addition to heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting systems, consider site selection, water use, building materials and indoor air quality.

4. Develop a comprehensive business travel plan.

Benchmark your current activity and identify areas for improvement. Consider commuter benefits, flexible work schedules that allow for telecommuting from home, and increased teleconferencing and video conferencing with clients, subcontractors and remote colleagues.

5. Buy and use green power.

Most existing utilities sell electricity generated from renewable sources. Buyers do not physically receive “green watts,” but directly help reduce the utility’s dependence on fossil fuels. Similarly, organizations can generate energy on-site with wind, solar, biomass or other renewable fuels.

6. Increase your equipment efficiency.

For office-based organizations, appliances and electronics will be most important, while manufacturing operations will need to address its machinery and processes. Improving equipment efficiency not only reduces emissions, but also helps improve the financial bottom-line.

7. Waste not want not.

Waste prevention and recycling helps address climate change by decreasing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that come from landfills. Recycled products also require less energy to create than using virgin materials.

8. Green your supply chain.

For many companies, particularly in manufacturing, a key leverage point for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is their supply chain. Sustainable supply chain management can include working with suppliers to make their operations more energy efficient, aligning purchasing policies to match company values, and performing lifecycle analysis on all materials.

9.Offset what you can’t reduce.

In most every business situation, there will be emissions that can not be reduced to zero. Investing in carbon off-sets to spur clean technologies, renewable energy industries and carbon sequestration can be a great strategy to address these types of emissions.

10. Champion the cause!

Spread the word on climate change and empower your employees, communities in which you sell and operate, and governments to work toward climate neutrality. Together we can make a difference.

Make the Carbon Neutral Pledge!

See our Resource Page for more information