Did you know that as a borough, Wirral wants to become net carbon neutral by 2041?
The Cool Wirral Partnership are a group of public, private, and third sector organisations that have come together to develop a strategy on the steps residents, businesses and communities can take to play their part in reaching our 2041 target.
Read more about the Cool Wirral Partnership and Cool 2 strategy here.
Wirral Chamber is a partner of Cool Wirral, and Cool Business is intended to help the business community support the strategy. Whether you have a net zero plan and a fleet of electric vehicles or if you are just beginning on your journey to become a ‘greener’ business we need everyone on board.
Within these pages you will find information on why it is beneficial to become a more sustainable and environmentally conscious business as well as advice and signposting to helpful resources. We will also provide regular updates with case studies and news.
Why do we need to take climate action?
According to the UN Emissions Gap Report 2024, global greenhouse emissions have reached a record high of 57.1 GtCO2e in 2023, an increase of 1.3% from the previous year. The average global temperature has increased between 1.1°C and 1.3°C since 1850-1900. We can see the impact a changing climate has on our planet, from rising sea levels to food insecurity. In the UK, we will likely see warmer summers and wetter winters which present their own risks such as health impacts, increased risk of wildfires, localised flooding, pressure on existing services and infrastructure etc.
In November 2015, 196 countries signed the United Nation’s Paris Agreement, agreeing to keep the average global temperature rise to well below 2°C, above pre-industrial levels, and pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.
Many businesses are setting and working towards their own net zero goals; 82 of the UK’s FTSE 100 companies have signed up to the United Nation’s Race to Zero campaign, working towards a net zero goal of 2050 at the latest.
We all have our part to play in reaching local, national and international targets.
Going green, what does it mean?
When we talk about sustainable business, going green, eco-friendly practices etc., we are essentially looking at the impact a business has on people and planet.
Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas that’s produced and the amount that’s removed from the atmosphere.
Climate action can look different from business to business, have a look at the getting started section to find out more about what you can do.
The benefits of going green
So what’s in it for me? The advantages of becoming an environmentally responsible company are numerous and widespread, from enhancing your company image and saving you money, to increasing productivity and staff satisfaction. We will explore some of them below:
Enhance your brand image
More than a third of British consumers say they are buying products from companies with strong environmental credentials and nearly half of consumers are willing to pay a premium for brands that are socially conscious.
In addition, many large buyers are increasingly using their procurement power to purchase more sustainable goods and services to reduce their indirect (scope 3) emissions and support their net zero commitments. Increasing your green credentials could give you a competitive edge above other suppliers.
Reduce costs and increase productivity
Reducing your business’ energy, travel, waste and water use will not only reduce your environmental impact but also have the added benefit of saving you money.
Compliance with regulations
Having better knowledge of environmental regulations and better systems for monitoring and reporting of emissions to air, water and land can reduce the chance of incidents that may find you liable for fines or reputational damage.
Better financial and investment opportunities
Green businesses and green start-ups can often take advantage of a far wider range of grants than would otherwise be available to traditional businesses.
You can see if you are eligible for funding from ventures such as the Clean Growth Fund, Innovate UK, or other government grants schemes.
Healthier workplaces and happier staff
Ensuring sustainability is embedded across your organisation has been shown to improve recruitment, retention and morale of employees. Staff have shown to have an increased sense of loyalty, pride and satisfaction in working for a company that has strong ethical and environmental values and practices.
In addition, the physical changes you can make to a workplace, such as greening the office, ventilation, natural light and cutting down on chemicals can all have a marked increase on staff health and wellbeing, leading to improved productivity and reduced absence.
How can I get started?
Whilst everyone in your business will have a responsibility to work towards any commitments you come up with, identifying a lead person(s) is important when getting started.
Before setting an environmental policy and targets, you need to know what you’re reducing. There are many online calculators that can provide an estimate of your businesses’ carbon footprint, using electricity, heating and fuel usage data. The Business Carbon Calculator from SME Climate Hub and Normative assesses Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, using data such as your electricity and heating usage, fuel use, travel costs etc.*
*Scope 1 – direct emissions from owned or controlled sources; gas heating, vehicle fuel use and fugitive emissions.
Scope 2 – indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat and steam
Scope 3 – other indirect emissions from purchased goods & services, business travel, employee commuting, waste disposal, investments, leased assets
Energy
The Energy Savings Trust (EST) calculated that SMEs could reduce their energy bills by 18-25% through installing energy efficiency measures and implementing behavioural change. Even small changes like turning down heating by 1°C or changing to LED lighting can dramatically reduce your energy consumption over the year.
A good place to start is by conducting an energy audit. The EST have a guide to energy efficiency in the workplace that has some useful information.
For those that are in a position to consider upgrading their building, the best place to start is by taking a fabric first approach. This means ensuring that your building is well insulated and the heating, and lighting are well controlled. You can then move on to look at how you get your energy, and if you are looking to upgrade, consider solar power or heat pumps. If this is not possible ask your supplier about changing to a renewable energy tariff. The FSB have some resources to help.
Waste
The Liverpool City Region is aspiring to be zero waste by 2040. For businesses to achieve zero waste they must transition to a circular economy. The circular economy can benefit businesses by guiding them to become environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. It reduces our impact on the earth and cares for our global society by reducing the number of resources taken from the earth and ending the need for waste. Find out more via the LCR Zero Waste Strategy.
It is always better not to produce waste in the first place, however for those products that are necessary for the business, a good place to start is to provide separate bins for plastic, glass and paper that are easily accessible to encourage recycling.
If you are a company that produces a lot of one particular waste, look into the options for recycling or reuse instead of disposal. Finding the best waste disposal service has the potential to save your business money. Waste management experts are also able to provide invaluable advice on ways to further reduce your waste and handle it optimally.
All businesses, no matter how small, have a duty to responsibly store and dispose of their commercial waste. Find out more here.
If you are selling products, think about its whole life cycle and where waste is created, from creation to packaging, delivery, use and end of life.
Conducting a waste audit of your business is a great way to find out where you are using products unnecessarily. Swap those single use plastic (SUP) cups for reusable glass ones, remove paper towels and install a hand dryer, or buy hand soap in bulk and refill containers, saving you money too.
If you cannot remove a product completely, think about what the most sustainable alternative is. If you are a catering business using polystyrene containers or plastic cutlery, switch to paper and bamboo which are more environmentally friendly. See Less Plastic for ideas and free resources.
If you are holding an event see the Carbon Trust Green Event guide to reducing single use plastics and more!
Transport
Looking at how your staff travel to and from work can be a way to reduce emissions from the daily commute. Employee benefits like help buying an annual travel pass can encourage public transport use, whilst facilities such as secure bike storage, lockers, showers and cycle to work schemes can encourage active travel.
Offering the chance to work from home one day a week provides the ideal opportunity to cut emissions from staff commuting even further, some have even been able to downsize to smaller, more efficient office buildings. This change may require some upfront costs in terms of equipment and software, but offering a more flexible way of working has been shown to improve productivity, staff well-being and reduced absence.
Many SMEs have a fleet of vehicles. Generally, older vehicles have comparably higher emissions than their newer counterparts. Older vehicles also have higher maintenance costs. When a vehicle comes to end of life, consider purchasing electric vehicles which have lower maintenance costs or upgrade older vehicles to Euro VI which have lower emissions and always use the smallest vehicle you can for the job.
If you aren’t in a position to change vehicles, undertaking a fleet review can help identify opportunities to reduce milage. Look at the frequency and distance driven in a typical week, is it possible to combine trips or reduce the number of vehicles?
Changing the way you drive your vehicle can also help lower emissions. Employing efficient driving techniques such as using the start/stop technology, not idling your vehicle, emptying the boot and ensuring your tyre pressure is correct can all cut down on emissions. Larger fleets can also consider investing in logistics software to help plan routes more effectively reducing mileage.
The Energy Saving Trust (EST) can provide free, impartial and expert advice to SMEs to support the transition of your fleet.
Biodiversity and nature
As well as providing habitats for insects and wildlife, research has shown that having some green space and natural light is associated with better mental and physical health. If you have some outdoor space, try to provide an area of green space for employees to enjoy during lunchbreaks. Trees, bushes and shrubs can have added benefits of reducing surface water run-off, preventing flooding and trees can provide natural shading and cooling in warmer summer months.
If you don’t have any outside space, then consider investing in house plants for the office. These have been shown to increase productivity and creativity by cleaning the air, decreasing carbon dioxide levels, and providing a more inviting work environment.
Social responsibility and sustainable procurement
Social responsibility is important across all areas of business operation and beyond, from supply chain and employees to your local community. Sustainability includes considering your wider environment, so why not try supporting a local charity or allowing staff to volunteer in community projects.
Sustainable procurement looks beyond the economics of procuring goods and prioritises environmental and social impacts. Practices include vetting suppliers for fair labour practices and ensuring responsible environmental practice throughout the supply chain. You can find out more about sustainable procurement, and why it’s important, here.
Environmental/sustainability policy
At its heart, an environmental policy outlines an organisations commitment to practices and standards to meet it’s legal, social and environmental obligations.
There are significant benefits to having a policy, including helping you stay within the law, improving cost control, conserving raw materials, improving efficiency, monitoring your environmental impacts and reducing incidents that result in liability.
By demonstrating commitment to these values, you can develop positive relations with external stakeholders such as investors, customers, regulators and the local community.
Producing an Environmental Policy is something businesses of all sizes can do. If you need help drafting an environmental policy or what to include, read this guide.
It is important that you implement your environmental policy and ensure it becomes integrated into the way your business operates. The policy and its successes or failures should also be reviewed regularly, and changes made to strengthen and improve your environmental performance. One way that larger organisations can put their policies into practice is through the introduction of an Environmental Management System.
Environmental Management System (EMS)
An EMS is a framework that helps your organisation achieve its environmental goals. The system includes policies, processes, procedures and records and is the tool by which a company will assess, monitor and reduce its negative impacts on the environment. An effective EMS needs to be tailored to suit the needs and goals of the business, however there a several well-known systems used by various industries.
The first of these is ISO 14001. It is a standard that many organisations use and it has several key elements; commitment and policy, planning, implementation, and evaluation and review, which are undertaken in a cycle to ensure continuous improvement.
The second is the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, otherwise known as EMAS. This allows companies and organisations to manage, assess and improve their environmental goals and actions. Similar to ISO 14001, this allows continuous improvement towards larger environmental goals.
Even if an EMS is not for you, there are a lot of actions that businesses can take to reduce their environmental impacts.