Your net zero plan

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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 free 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 finance and 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
Find guidance on reducing emissions in MPA’s UK Concrete and Cement Industry Roadmap to Beyond Net Zero

You can also learn how to run your business in a more environmentally friendly way by hiring a sustainability consultant.

2) Get financial support for your region

These support schemes and networks are available in the East of England:

Business Energy Efficiency gives enterprise SMEs up to £10,000 in matching funds for energy efficiency improvements, electric vehicles and new machinery – must be located in Suffolk or Norfolk counties.
Net Zero Business Advisor Service – free advice for Suffolk-based businesses is provided by a team of expert and impartial advisors. Support matches the business needs and covers everything from carbon reduction plans to accessing funding, and is highlighted alongside Suffolk County Council’s Climate Change Commerical Ask.
The Suffolk Business Grant Scheme is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This is delivered by Babergh District Council, East Suffolk Council, Ipswich Borough Council, Mid Suffolk District Council and West Suffolk Council. These district councils are looking to provide support to local SME businesses with grants between £5,000 and £10,000, with a maximum grant intervention of 50%. Businesses wishing to apply or for further guidance and support can contact the New Anglia Growth Hub to discuss their project or call: 0300 333 6536.
West Suffolk grants through the Growth Hub – grants of between £5,000 to £10,000 are being made available to SMEs in West Suffolk through the Growth Hub. The grants, which require businesses to match fund what they are applying for, are available on a first come first served basis and can be used to support businesses in their development, such as through marketing, web design or the purchase of new equipment. They are funded by West Suffolk Council, using part of the money it was allocated from Government under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). SMEs can contact the New Anglia Growth Hub at www.newangliagrowthhub.co.uk/contact-us or by phoning 0300 333 6536.

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) Do an energy walk-round

Walk around your buildings and see where energy is being used.

Prepare a checklist

Look out for wasteful energy use and maintenance issues in the following areas:

Look at lighting, heating and refrigeration systems, as well as ventilation and water heating.
Identify wasteful energy use and maintenance issues.
Check at different times of day and compare day and night time use.
Monitor over a period of a week for accurate average figures.
Make sure equipment is checked and cleaned regularly to ensure maximum efficiency.

Improve ventilation

Routine maintenance checks and cleaning will improve the efficiency of your ventilation system.

3) 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.

4) Switch to a smart meter

This will allow you to see and control how much energy you use. Find out more about smart meters.

5) Manage your waste

Recycle waste to prevent it being taken to landfill sites where it takes longer to break down and causes more emissions.

6) Get training in energy efficiency

You can train your team to be aware of energy efficiency in the workplace. Find a sustainability course.

Longer term actions

1) Make 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.

Improve insulation and windows

You can make long-term savings on energy bills by insulating buildings and replacing old windows.

Install renewables

You might also consider installing renewable sources of energy on your land.

For example:

heat pumps for heating and water
solar panels or a wind turbine for electricity

By doing so, you could make significant long-term savings on energy bills.

2) Make changes 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 emissions from freight and logistics.

If you have employees you could introduce a cycle-to-work initiative or encourage them to take public transport.

Visit our page on switching employee mode of transport for guidance.

Electric vehicles

If you use a work vehicle, you can reduce emissions by switching over 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.

Visit our page to find out more about installing chargegpoints.

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

Find out more information on how to source products and services from green suppliers.

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 with PAS 2060

PAS 2060 is the internationally recognised standard that recognises your efforts towards carbon neutrality.

The standard process for PAS 2060 certification includes these steps:

Measure greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) based on accurate data.
Reduce of emissions through a carbon management plan.
Document and verify through qualifying explanatory statements and make a public disclosure.

Through independent British Standards Institution (BSI) verification for PAS 2060, your business can demonstrate that it has met these requirements. You can show your business is environmentally friendly and contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while enhancing your organisation’s performance and resilience.

Search on Google for PAS 2060 certification organisations.