5 Ways To Reduce CO2 Emissions Using Sustainable Initiatives For Your Company

1. Educate and motivate your employees

Eco-friendly workplace practices only work if your employees understand how to reduce CO2 emissions. By educating your employees, you enable them to modify their behaviour and become more aware of the need for change. You can do this by:

• Keeping your staff updated on the company’s latest initiatives and using goal-setting to get everyone on board.
• Ensuring new employees are on board: You could do this through employee training, in an orientation handbook, or even during the application process.
• Motivating employees with rewards. For example, you could offer rewards like a gift voucher to staff who achieve personal goals, like walking to work for a week rather than driving.
• Inviting feedback. Your team is on the “shop floor.” They’re likely to spot areas for change you weren’t aware of. Encourage workers to speak out. Let your staff suggest potential solutions, and then reward them for doing so.

2. Encourage green travel

Regardless of your company’s size, there’s plenty you can do to reduce your employees’ travel footprint. At Skipr, we offer modern and sustainable mobility while reducing costs for the employer and increasing the employee’s well-being and salary. 

Think about adding greater flexibility to your employees: Go beyond the basics and offer greater multi-modality and freedom to your staff. You can do this through a private mobility budget, enabling you and your employees to switch to a greener car and access other sustainable means of transport. Our App guides users to their destination by combining private, public and shared transport. 

3. Upgrade your company’s recycling policies

We all understand the importance of recycling cards and papers. However, to make a significant reduction in your company’s CO2 emissions, you’ll need to go further. This could mean:

• Limiting or eliminating single-use plastics to keep as much out of the trash bins as possible.
• Buying eco-friendly products like printing paper, envelopes, and office equipment.
• Not upgrading systems unless it’s essential: Many computers, printers, and other office equipment go to waste because businesses are sometimes too quick to replace them. When the time does come to get a newer model, consider donating your items to a recycling centre or charity.
• Looking at food waste: Introduce policies so staff know how to store food and manage food waste.
• Make it easy for your employees: The easier it is, the more likely staff are to comply. Maybe you could add recycling bins around workstations or a compost bin for food waste.

4. Start at the top

It’s great to encourage your employees to contribute. However, sustainability and reducing eco-friendly initiatives starts at the top. Here are some examples of how you can do this:

Leading by example. For instance, senior management could use public transportation, drive electric cars, walk, or cycle to work. You can also reduce air travel throughout your company by using video calling when appropriate.

Communicating regularly: It’s not enough to set targets for your initiatives. Keep staff motivated and give regular updates on how close your company is to reaching its goals.

Reducing meat consumption: It’s no secret that reducing meat consumption reduces CO2 emissions. Consider introducing a no-meat Monday challenge or offer vegetarian and vegan options alongside regular meals if you have an on-site canteen.

Reaching out to the community. Consider getting your company involved in an eco-friendly community project. Getting out into the community helps build your company’s reputation for sustainability and gives you opportunities to speak about your sustainable culture.

Whether it’s tending a local green spot alongside other volunteers, planting trees, adopting a local green space, or starting a community garden, there’s bound to be a way your company can help out locally.

5. Start incorporating renewable energy—and use less of it

The use of renewable energy is growing throughout Europe, and schemes like the European Green Deal aim to help businesses move to more environmentally friendly forms of power. Whether it’s wind, hydro, solar, or another form of renewable energy, see how you can introduce them into your business. In addition to that:

• When you replace computer systems, buy the most energy-efficient models.
• Switch to LED lighting to save energy. And remember, you can recycle LED bulbs, too.
• Insulate your office buildings to reduce drafts and keep the building warmer
• Switch computers off when they’re not in use.
  

Take action now

Now you have some ideas on how to reduce CO2 emissions in your company. Even if you were to introduce just a few of them, you’d be playing an essential role in creating a more eco-friendly environment for your employees. Many of these initiatives cost little, if anything, to introduce. 

Don’t wait and take the first step now toward sustainable, affordable corporate mobility.

Find out how you can get started with the help of our mobility experts.