Following the London Mayor’s announcement that the Business Climate Challenge now supports an extra 250 businesses to decarbonise their buildings, there is more pressure on companies to do more to combat climate change in the capital. Businesses should set targets to reduce their carbon emissions and transform their business to be more sustainable. Here is what London businesses can do to combat climate change.
Reduce Travel
Travel is one of the main causes of concern for businesses across London when dealing with climate change. London has many airports, train stations, and other transport hubs, all of which have fleets of vehicles that may be contributing to climate change. This is especially true for businesses which travel unnecessarily.
Some businesses may decide that they need to meet in person, leading to employees travelling across the country or even flying in or out of the country. These meetings can likely all be conducted from home or the office via video. If you decide to do the meeting online, you will help prevent wasteful travel, which helps reduce carbon emissions.
London businesses should think about the amount of travelling that is conducted in general. For delivery businesses, they should ensure they have optimised their route. This would allow the business to have an efficient route that saves on time and fuel. For businesses, consider creating a carpool scheme or incentivising employees to take public transport to work, or even cycle where possible.
Use Cloud Technology
It may not seem obvious, but cloud technology can help London-based businesses combat climate change. Modern businesses are almost all expected to embrace cloud computing technology. Those that don’t utilise the benefits will fall behind. Driving sustainability through cloud technology leads to a range of opportunities for London businesses of all industries.
Cloud computing is useful for businesses as it saves on physical storage space and allows them to save much more than they would otherwise be able to on their own hard drives. Working with cloud infrastructure helps businesses transform their IT approach into a greener focus. As well as being more flexible, cloud computing can help cut back on the hardware you run and reduce the need for certain manufacturing. You should think about the emissions that are caused by both and how cloud computing solves them.
Create A Culture Of Awareness
London businesses can look to educate their staff on climate change concerns within the business world. This should help your employees be aware of more climate issues specific to the business they work with. It’s essential that you don’t just make your employees aware but educate yourself first, too. This helps you lead from the top and helps you inspire the team.
You won’t be able to successfully create a culture of awareness of climate change without being aware of the issues yourself. It should start from management with an emphasis on change. Managers and employees alike can study online environmental courses via the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. These courses apply to any business or industry and can be completed in just a few weeks. This will allow firms and employees to learn valuable skills that can benefit them in combating climate change within the workplace.
With everyone within the business being more aware of climate change risks and potential strategic opportunities, you will be able to create a culture of awareness throughout all levels. London-based businesses are expected to combat climate change due to ongoing concerns in the capital and pressure from the government.
Champion Environmental Causes
There will be plenty of environmental causes that exist within the capital. These environmental causes could be charities or initiatives from other businesses you can partner with. Consider what local causes exist in the area and what you can do to contribute in any way.
There is a range of climate concerns for London-based businesses. The main threats facing London businesses are likely flooding and heatwaves. Any potential water shortages could also affect the running of a business, specifically in certain industries. Climate change can lead to extreme weather. Some extreme weather could lead to disruption throughout the supply chain. This could also lead to staff not being able to arrive at work, and there may also be some damage caused. For this reason, you must champion environmental causes and do what you can as an individual and a business.
London is major for tourism. Many businesses are established to serve the tourism industry. Hectic weather events can lead to localised flooding, heavy storms, and hot summers, which could negatively contribute to a tourism business’s success. The tourism market can have a major effect on the economy, and climate change presents challenges to businesses across London. It’s important that businesses take on these challenges and deal with them as opportunities.
