It’s more important than ever that businesses work towards a shared goal to reduce our carbon footprint and make changes that will positively impact the future and help prevent the climate crisis getting worse.
Carbon neutral and net zero are the main buzzwords when it comes to climate change and sustainability, but what do they actually mean? We’ve covered net zero and how you can work towards it, and here we discuss what it means to be carbon neutral.
What does carbon neutral mean?
Being carbon neutral means balancing the amount of CO2 your business emits with how much is being absorbed into the atmosphere by the environment.
There has been some debate over the label of ‘carbon neutral business’, as it doesn’t necessarily mean that a business has changed the amount of CO2 it emits. By investing in carbon offsets such as reforestation or renewable energy projects, you can cancel out your emissions rather than reduce them. Most businesses have pledged to do both.
Carbon neutral for business
Carbon offsets cost money and aren’t as good for the environment, or our future, as pledging to go net zero. There are definitely benefits to the environment, but the real change comes when we eliminate emissions from society.
In the water industry, Wave are part of the supply chain for many businesses and can provide assistance and advice for customers starting out on their journey to becoming carbon neutral. Offsetting emissions by planting trees or funding a reforestation project may seem beneficial, but we recommend investing that money in long term change within your business that will really benefit the planet.
Making positive change
We’ve partnered with SaveMoneyCutCarbon in an effort to help businesses better understand their habits. Their Carbon Mentors offer support, guidance and find ways to make your operations more sustainable.
If you’ve got carbon neutral goals or carbon offsetting in place, you’re heading in the right direction. But now’s the time to think about change, understand your usage and put plans in place to reduce emissions as well.
If your business is a high consumer of water, our water efficiency services can help you investigate ways to significantly reduce your carbon footprint through more efficient water use, which will save you money too.
