How to take care of your carbon footprint? A guide for businesses

I want to take care of my company's carbon footprint. Where should I start? 

→ Hop on the momentum: Paris Agreement, Green Deal, … scientific recommendations are all pointing in the same direction.

→ Engage your stakeholders: employees, clients, investors, suppliers… show them your commitments and onboard them on an impactful journey. 

→ Create a competitive advantage: differentiate yourself from your competitors.

→ Get ahead of regulations: start now, and you will be prepared for future uncertain economic imperatives.

→ Enable cost reduction: on the long run, you will earn a high return on your carbon reduction investments even though the investment cost seems massive at the beginning of your process.

« Now, to take control of your footprint,
you need to build a solid carbon strategy.»

A solid carbon strategy

The plan a company has to build when they decide to take their environmental responsibilities plays a role in the ongoing sustainable transition. The carbon strategy aims to manage and reduce all Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions generated by a company's activity. Different gases are emitted, but the term 'CO2 equivalent' describes those GHG in a standard unit for practical purposes. 

The problem is, once a CSR reflection is engaged in a company, people often struggle to start, set targets and make decisions about carbon emissions. 

It makes sense that companies do not turn into carbon experts overnight. They have their reality, limitations, economic restrictions and resources. It creates a paradoxical situation where companies want to act but does not know where to start or have the necessary resources to launch such a process.

« A carbon strategy is not an outcome itself,
but the start point towards sustainable transition.»

Tapio is a carbon management solutions provider that supports companies to understand, set and follow real-time their carbon strategy. Every climate journey is unique. However, the following four essential elements must be addressed regardless of the company; Tapio's platform is based on the same pillars.

→ ANALYSE:
Because you cannot solve what you don't understand

A carbon report is an estimation of all carbon emissions from a company's activity. As the starting point of a carbon strategy, it sets the baseline on which to take action. From collecting to analysing data easy, Tapio offers an overview of the company's carbon report through relevant and visual dashboards. 

Here are some extra tips to keep in mind along the way:

→ Do not try to skip this step. Your strategy will lose credibility. 

→ Choose an external partner that follows protocols (GHG or Bilan Carbone): you will have to collect and provide specific data but cannot make the assessment yourself.

→ Do it at least once a year to keep the big picture in mind and track your progress towards your goals. 

→ REDUCE:
The perfect ton of CO2 is the one that's not being emitted

Sustainable transition means cutting GHG emissions to limit global warming and achieving a net-zero carbon future. After analysing where there is room for improvement in the carbon report, solutions can be established. Tapio provides a generator of clean and alternative solutions aligned with the company's needs and financial resources. 

The objective here is to reduce all the emissions of your activities which sometimes implies restructuring some operations or rethinking how you perform. As laborious as it may seem, keep the big picture in mind. You commit, at your scale, to help reverse climate change. 

→ CONTRIBUTE:
Finance capture projects to compensate your incomprehensible emissions

You'll have to make choices and, in some cases, accept a modest level of your total CO2 emissions that are not deductible during the first years of your carbon strategy. Those incomprehensible emissions should be reduced in the long term, however. If this is your case, you'll notice some will stick around, and therefore compensating your impact is a viable alternative. In other words, financing carbon capture projects to neutralise unavoidable remaining emissions.

Tapio works with experts to offer certified reliable projects that positively impact our planet, as social impact plays a vital role in contribution. At Tapio, we ensure that these initiatives bring co-benefits to local communities and their environment.

→ To reduce is your highest priority. Offsetting will only come in handy afterwards. 

→ Choose wisely your project. If they are not certified or transparent enough, you'll probably give your money to the wrong organisation and risk backlash. 

→ ENGAGE:
Discuss the matter, and spread the word.

Acting towards sustainable transition by setting a carbon strategy is essential but also profitable. Customers, investors and the next generation of employees demand transparency, sustainable purpose and resilience. A sustainability aligned approach is vital for future market leadership. By taking action on your environmental footprint, stakeholders' interests will be higher and create more opportunities. Tapio makes it possible to publish and report a company's carbon strategy to the world (or specific actors, employees, for example). By spreading the word, we will convince others to follow, and the impact will be exponential.

→ Feel comfortable communicating on your carbon strategy even though it is not perfect. Transparency speaks for itself; the objective is not to be the best in class immediately but to show you aim for improvement.

→ Onboard your employees in your carbon strategy to keep them engaged and attract new talents.  

This is how Tapio and its all-in-one carbon management solution has been conceived. We provide companies with a guide towards carbon neutrality and give them the latest science-based and business insights on the subject. Reach out to us for any additional information. We will be happy to talk and guide you through our software and tools.

Bonus Tip – avoid the traps. If you decide to start your sustainable transition, it needs to be accurate and fully transparent. Expectations are high today (and will only increase further), and people are not ready to believe everything they read. Make your initiatives, objectives and progress public.

« Start with the basics. You cannot solve what you don't understand.»

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A carbon strategy is not an exhibition nor a particular final result. It's the pathway to be part of tomorrow's leading companies, and like any journey, it requires a solid action plan. Start with the basics because you cannot solve what you don't understand: carry out a report to discover your company's actual emissions, analyse your results, determine where to reduce, find new partners to produce a lower impact, engage your stakeholders along the way so that they can become climate-driven solutions too.