In the wake of the recent COP26 (Conference of the Parties – the decision-making body of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), it has never been more important for individuals and businesses alike to reduce their carbon emissions.
Since the industrial revolution, humans have brought about a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene Era, and it’s the excessive increase in carbon emissions which is the cause of global warming and which is resulting in catastrophic weather events such as flooding, droughts, wildfires etc. If we fail to act now, the damage will be irreversible.
All businesses have a responsibility to address climate action based on environmental, ethical, regulatory and commercial imperatives. It is also essential for future-proofing a business.
Legislation is coming soon which will force large organisations to publish science-based climate action plans. If large businesses are forced to establish robust and science-based climate actions plans, then we can be sure they will be looking to their supply chains to see where they can cut emissions, choosing suppliers with robust sustainability credentials of their own.
The time will come, in some cases that time is now, when potential clients will be placing a high priority on the green credentials of the organisations they do business with, so businesses within their supply chain need to be ready.
BE Offices was addressing sustainability before most organisations were even putting it on their agendas. The CSR actions we have already taken as a business currently align with 10 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These goals were adopted by all UN member states in 2015. They are an urgent call for action to tackle poverty, improve health and education, reduce inequality and spur economic growth – all the while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
Our Green Group was founded in 2009 and has already overseen the implementation of numerous sustainability initiatives which include:
- 95% of our portfolio runs on renewably sourced electricity
- We’ve had a zero waste to landfill policy since 2015
- We’ve made a multi-million investment in LEDs and motion sensor lighting to reduce energy consumption
- Our data is hosted on carbon-neutral servers
- We’re part of the Mayor of London’s Business Climate Challenge
We are proud of what we have achieved so far, but with an ambitious plan to achieve carbon neutral status by the end of 2025, there is still more to do.
City of London charity, The Heart of The City, for whom BE Offices is an ambassador organisation, have developed free resources to support SMEs with the decarbonisation of their businesses your business. Their free toolkit, bespoke for SMEs, has been designed to make taking action against the climate crisis accessible and achievable.
The toolkit has four modules from the demystification of the terms associated with climate action, through to building a business case, measuring your carbon footprint and creating a robust plan of action. And if your business is based or operates in the City of London, you can apply for a place on their brand new, free climate action course! Climate for SMEs: 4 steps to action will get you started on your net zero journey. Apply now to start the course in January 2022.
