Ways Businesses Can Reduce Their Ecological Footprint

In November 2022,  COP27, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was held in Egypt. Over 90 heads of state and some 35,000 representatives of 190 countries were in attendance. This conference focused on developing world-wide policies to recognize and address the impacts of climate change. One major accomplishment was an agreement to establish a fund which compensates vulnerable nations for “loss and damage” from climate-induced disasters.

Last year’s COP26 certified that the world is facing a critical decade in which greater action is essential. UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that more needs to be done to reduce emissions, saying, “The world still needs a giant leap on climate ambition. We can and must win this battle for our lives.”  Professor Emily Shuckburgh, a world-leading climate scientist and Director of Cambridge Zero, adds that, “The private sector too has a critically important role.” With global awareness of climate change at such heightened levels, this article seeks to answer the question of, “How can businesses reduce their carbon footprint?”

Why Reducing a Business’s Carbon Footprint Is Important

There are many advantages beyond the environmental impact of answering the question of, “How can businesses reduce their carbon footprint?” In some cases, change has been mandated. In other cases, activist shareholders are more vocal about their ESG (environmental, social, and governance) expectations for companies in which they invest.

The media is publishing information about ESG scores, making it more transparent to everyone about a business’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. This may ultimately impact other entities up and down the supply chain, as well as the end consumers’ decision about which companies’ products to use. Voluntarily making sound environmental decisions can also be part of a solid competitive public relations strategy.

How To Measure Your Carbon Footprint

Some large companies have made a big splash about their commitment to achieving net-zero targets. While smaller businesses might not be able to implement such major changes, every commitment to reducing the carbon footprint is a step in the right direction.

It is important to understand exactly what a carbon footprint is, and then learn how to measure it effectively, so that appropriate remediation efforts can be made. According to the University of Michigan’s  Center for Sustainable Systems, “A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product. It is calculated by summing the emissions resulting from every stage of a product or service’s lifetime (material production, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life).”

A Corporate Carbon Footprint, or CCF, is the total amount of GHG emissions that are directly or indirectly caused by the company’s various activities. The CCF includes emissions across the entire value chain, such as transportation, logistics, sourcing and delivery, use of sold products, end-of-life disposal, and direct emissions from manufacturing activities. In most cases, the CCF will be calculated for a specific period, such as a calendar or fiscal year, so that progress can be measured towards reducing the carbon footprint. Steps included in measuring a CCF include:

• Overall Assessment: Create a comprehensive picture of your entire business, from sourcing through end use. Specify where the various elements of your company are located, and assess any risk operations in each of those locations pose to your CCF reduction goals.
• Monitor Energy Usage: Look at how much energy your business uses in terms of electricity, gas, and water. Study the criteria you have established concerning sustainability in these areas, and highlight areas where you may be able to achieve reductions.
• Consider All Environmental Impacts: While a manufacturing entity with emissions might be able to reasonably assess its environmental impacts, every business affects the environment in some way. Agriculture may use herbicides, pesticides, and growth enhancers which can cause environmental damage. Coatings, paints, inks, and cleaning products with petroleum solvents may have Ozone Depleting Chemicals or hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Look for every way in which your business is increasing its carbon footprint, so you can find ways to make improvements.
• Transportation: Transportation is a big cause of carbon emissions. Look for ways to improve supply chain efficiencies in delivery and shipments, as well as business travel. During the course of the pandemic, many businesses found they were able to substantially reduce business-related travel, as well as commuting levels for employees.

How Bio-based Solvents Have Reduced Businesses’ Carbon Footprint

Some options to reduce the CCF might include:

• Reduce overall waste
• Control transportation
• Maintain production equipment and machinery
• Work with local vendors and suppliers
• Commit to renewable energy resources
• Increase recycling capabilities
• Reduce overall energy consumption
• Establish firm business travel guidelines
• Engage employees in CCF reduction efforts
• Stress reduction goals in dealings with suppliers and customers
• Watch resource consumption
• Eliminate harsh petroleum-based solvents

An easy way to reduce businesses’ carbon footprint is to switch to environmentally-friendly bio-based solvents, or green solvents. These modern alternatives, such as the complete line from Vertec, have a reduced carbon footprint. Whereas solvents that are petroleum-based can add "virgin carbon" to the environment, our biosolvent carbon comes through the process of photosynthesis, where CO2 is captured from the atmosphere by a plant. This balances the CO2 released when a biosolvent is used in your formulation or cleaning application. Replacing petroleum-based solvents with Vertec BioSolvents can have a positive impact on reducing greenhouse gases, and will definitely help in reducing your ecological footprint.

At Vertec BioSolvents, we provide a range of environmentally friendly, high-performing biosolvent alternatives to traditional petroleum-based solvents for industrial and agricultural markets. Our bio-based green solvents and solvent blends are derived from corn, soybeans, citrus and other renewable feedstocks. None of our products contain any environmentally hazardous ingredients - no Ozone Depleting Chemicals and no hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Proudly made in the USA, Vertec BioSolvents produces superior performance through sustainable technologies.  Visit our website  or call  630-960-0600  for more information, or to request a sample from our line of bio-based, safe solvents.