I can’t take credit for the title of this blog! I heard it on one of a few recent webinars I’ve sat in on – all free, largely put on by the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce. These have been short, pacy sessions with the aim of addressing barriers to making changes and promoting ideas for SMEs to put in place immediate and long-term actions to reduce carbon emissions.
These sessions have also given some excellent suggestions for how to inspire & lead on sustainability and reach Net Zero within the business.
I can’t lie, I find it easier to introduce changes in our home than I do in the workplace. My challenge in our new Company year is to put Carbon reduction front and centre in all our future business planning.
Below are some small takeaways I’ve collected to help move us forward:
- We have to be able to measure where we are (our Carbon Footprint) or there’s no way to quantify our progress.
- Future planning for the business has to have reduction of emissions at its heart.
- What ‘quick-wins’ can we continually put in place?
- Engagement with everyone in the business is key – think of ways to get everyone on board and move beyond general apathy.
- Try and engage a core team of ‘Climate Champions’ – people who really do want to get stuck in and make changes for good.
- Face negativity in all it’s forms (‘It’s too late!’ / ‘What about China?’ / ‘It doesn’t matter that the icecaps are melting – that’s miles away from here!’) with the excellent quote “Those who say it can’t be done should not interrupt those of us who are doing it!”
Continuous improvement has to be better than doing nothing because it seems too hard or that it won’t make much of a difference.
Blog by Jo Lloyd