2024 is going to be a more important year than ever for industry CEOs and business owners to measure their carbon footprint and implement carbon mitigation strategies.
The message to owners of all sizes of business, whatever sector they operate in, is to make this the year they start their journeys to net zero. Pressure on businesses to prove their carbon footprint credentials has been ramped up after the recent COP28 conference, held in the United Arab Emirates, reiterated the need for the world to urgently start transitioning away from using fossil fuels.
Organisations are at risk of being left behind if they don’t take the first steps to reduce their footprint soon. That’s the message from Gary Robertson (pic), Eco’s Group Opportunity Strategist who says that governments, local authorities, corporations and big companies will soon get to a time when they won’t award contracts without businesses being able to provide their carbon number.
He said: “There was a striking message from COP28 which highlighted how all businesses and organisations across the world need to make immediate action to reduce their carbon emissions output.
“We here in the UK all have a big part to play in lowering climate emissions.” Eco Group offers businesses an easy-to-understand solution thanks to its innovative EcoMetrix platform, which measures a business’ environmental impact and is then used as a benchmark to implement carbon reduction measures.
“Many businesses are experiencing pressure from clients and their supply chain to reduce their carbon footprint but it can be difficult to get to grips with the practicalities of where and how to start measuring your emissions. We help businesses access affordable carbon mitigation solutions to future-proof their organisations and give them a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
“We don’t want our partners and suppliers to have a situation where they don’t win an important contract which could have a significantly damaging effect on their business, because they have not got a carbon number. We work with business right from the start. We help them to benchmark where they are now, set targets for the future and then help them get there.
“Ultimately, carbon accounting should be treated in the same way as financial accounting: it keeps track of emissions rather than money. One day the carbon audit of a business will be just as crucial to the credibility and performance of that organisation as a financial audit is today.”
James Napier, founder of CBN Expert which developed the EcoMetrix software in collaboration with Eco, said the platform aimed to make the process of measuring, recording and tracking a business’ carbon footprint as straightforward as possible. He said: “As demands on organisations to reduce their carbon footprint increase, carbon accounting will help them understand what is required and where they can make changes.
“The platform has been designed to be simple and easy-to-use, and to ensure that it brings added value to a business.” The EcoMetrix platform is compliant with the UK Government’s Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) regulations, and international carbon accounting standard, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol.
The GHG Protocol categorises carbon emissions into three groups or ‘scopes’, with scope one generated by the business; scope two from indirect sources via energy use; and scope three from indirect emissions generated by the supply chain. EcoGoZero works alongside businesses and organisations across the UK to help them meet their net zero ambitions through finding the right accessible and affordable solutions.
They include EV charging solutions, off-grid lighting, energy decentralisation as well as the EcoMetrix carbon accounting software package.
