Your net zero plan
You selected ‘Construction’ and ‘East Midlands’
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Understand your business emissions
1) What causes emissions
Direct carbon emissions produced by the construction industry include:
- energy use – for on-site machinery and lighting and heating in work buildings
- transport – using vehicles which run on petrol or diesel
- general waste – when it isn’t recycled and ends up at landfill sites
2) Calculate your emissions
Use a carbon calculator to work out your business’s carbon footprint. This is measured in tonnes, over a year.
3) Estimate the cost of your emissions
Once you have your carbon footprint, you can calculate how much your emissions are costing you. This will give you an idea of potential savings you can make by taking action.
4) Sign up to the SME climate commitment
Make a climate declaration to show customers you are committed to reducing emissions.
Get support
1) Support in your sector
You can get advice and guidance from the following organisations:
- the UK Green Building Council (GBC) – offers sustainability advice, courses and networking for paid members
- the Centre for Low Emission Construction – provides guidance on reducing emissions
- Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) – provides information on waste issues relevant to the construction industry
2) Support in your region
The following grants, schemes and loan programmes are available in the East Midlands:
- Business Growth Grant gives SMEs matching grants of £2,000 to £25,000 for new products or services, premises upgrades and new equipment – must be located in Leicestershire
- Choose How You Move gives SMEs up to £5,000 in matching funds to increase sustainable travel for employees – must be located in Leicestershire
- DE-Carbonise gives SMEs £1,000 to £20,000 in matching funds to develop renewable energy generation and lower carbon products – must be located in Derbyshire
- Energy for Business gives up to £8,000 in matching funds for improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions – must be located in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire or Leicestershire
- Electric Van Experience gives SMEs a free electric van for 30 days, including the install of a charger at your business – must be located in Nottingham city
- Green BELLE gives SMEs £1,000 to £10,000 in matching funds for energy efficiency upgrades – must be located in Leicestershire
- Green Entrepreneurs Programme has a small grants from £10,000 to £20,000 and a large grant that starts at £100,000 – must be located in Derbyshire County
- Low Carbon Workspaces gives SMEs matching grants of £1,000 to £5,000 for premises improvements that reduce emissions – must be located in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Milton Keynes or Northamptonshire
- University of Derby’s Invest to Grow programme gives grants and loans from £15,000 to £250,000 to B2B companies in the East Midlands that create jobs in different sectors, including low carbon
- Workplace Travel Service Grants give SMEs up to £25,000 for travel improvements such as electric vehicle chargers, showers and bicycle parking – must be located in Nottingham city
Actions you can take right now
1) Save energy at your office and workplace
Quick, low-cost actions include:
- lighting – use LED bulbs for greater efficiency
- heating – put your thermostat on a timer and seal your windows for extra insulation
- office equipment – try to turn off and unplug devices when they’re not being used
2) Change your energy tariff
Switch to a green energy tariff with your energy supplier. This will reduce your reliance on energy produced by fossil fuels.
3) Switch to a smart meter
This will allow you to see and control how much energy you use. Find out more
4) Manage your waste
Recycle waste to prevent it being taken to landfill sites where it takes longer to break down and causes more emissions.
Longer term actions
1) Making changes to your offices and workplace
If you are the legal owner, there are a number of long-term measures you can take to improve energy efficiency.
Check planning permission guidelines before you go ahead with any structural changes to the property.
Improving insulation and windows
You can make long-term savings on energy bills by insulating your workplace and replacing old windows.
Installing renewables
You can also make significant long-term savings by installing renewable sources of energy.
For example:
- solar panels or a wind turbine for electricity
- heat pumps for heating and water
2) At the construction site
Avoid using fuel-powered generators
More efficient alternatives include:
- a high-capacity electricity grid connection
- hybrid power generators (HPGs), which work with renewable technologies such as solar, wind, battery and biodiesel
Use sustainable materials
Many building materials contain high amounts of embodied carbon. Find out about sourcing low-carbon building materials from the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products
3) Reducing transport emissions
Over 25% of the UK’s carbon emissions are caused by transport. You can take measures to reduce the impact.
If you have employees you could introduce a cycle-to-work initiative or encourage them to take public transport.
Electric vehicles
If you use a work vehicle, you can reduce emissions by switching to an electric vehicle (EV). You would be exempt from road tax, congestion charges and parking fees in certain areas.
For easy overnight charging you could install EV chargers at your home or workplace. A government grant scheme covers up to £350 per charging point.
Learn more about reducing the impact of transport
Indirect emissions
To reduce indirect or ‘supply chain’ emissions you need to consider what happens before and after your business provides a service or makes a product.
1) Choose greener ‘upstream’ suppliers and products
- use suppliers that measure and reduce carbon
- help your suppliers with carbon reduction projects
- buy products that take less energy to make, transport and operate
2) Reduce emissions ‘downstream’ of your business
- make products that take less energy to make, transport and operate
- reduce water consumption and waste disposal needs
- make investments in lower carbon financial products
- give incentives for lower emission activities in leased assets or franchises
3) Certify your supply chain action
The Carbon Trust offers the following verification schemes:
- UK Accredited Supplier (£1,499 yearly fee)
- Supply Chain Standard (cost TBD)
Share your progress
Sharing your progress will help employees and customers feel confident that you’re reducing carbon and moving towards net zero.
You should share your progress once you’ve done both of the following:
- worked out a benchmark of emissions
- started to take action