Social and economic turmoil have dominated the British frontpages for some time now.

Inflation, rising energy costs, and fierce competition for talent (to name but a few) have proven to
be extremely challenging for UK businesses. So, it’s no surprise that for many, sustainability
initiatives may have slipped down the list of priorities.

However, putting out one fire doesn’t mean you can turn a blind eye to another. With the UK
government pledging to bring its greenhouse-gas emissions down to net-zero by 2050, the pressure
is now on for businesses to meet their sustainability targets over the coming years – and this must
be a priority as we move further into 2023.

With Earth Day around the corner – an annual event to support and raise awareness for
environmental protection – there are several key measures they can put in place to bolster their
sustainability efforts to work towards a greener future.

Collaboration needs to begin at board level

If your business truly wants to be sustainable, collaboration for your efforts needs to start at board
level as your stakeholders will be the ones who have the ability to direct and influence the business’
direction towards a more sustainable future.

Once you have established your sustainability initiatives at board level, you can nurture and develop
a culture where sustainability is engrained in the mindset of your employees. This can be achieved
by having your leadership teams deliver a clear roadmap for your green-driven efforts through
training and awareness initiatives. This will ensure that everybody is on the same page, allowing
your sustainability efforts to flow throughout each and every level of your organisation.

Aim for commitment and investment rather than greenwashed slogans and logos

It’s well reported that greenwashing is having a detrimental impact on the reputations of businesses
guilty of the practise, but it is also diluting and corrupting the overall sustainability message. We all
have a role to play in reducing the impact of climate change, but we cannot sell false promises or
make inflated claims. You can provide genuine assurance to your customers that their business is in
safe hands by earning and achieving credible sustainable accreditations. Without the appropriate
controls or governance, simply claiming to have a sustainable impact does nothing to address the
environmental crisis.

Measure your carbon production to take your first steps towards becoming carbon neutral

If your business is striving to become carbon neutral, the first steps your management team need to
get to grips with is how do you accurately measure the level of carbon your business produces?
Once you know where the usage is, you can then establish and implement a plan to reduce your
carbon output alongside working with your supply chain to understand and monitor this with an aim
to reduce Scope 3 Carbon. Scope 3 carbon emissions refer to the indirect greenhouse gas emissions
that are generated by an organisation’s value chain.

There is also an option where you can invest in an offsetting or carbon sink project, such as the Trees
For Climate initiative or a carbon capture and storage project (CSS) which absorbs the carbon your
business produces. Sustainability is a mindset so the objective here is to reduce the carbon
production, not to continue in the way we have in the past with offsetting. Circular IT procurement

and refurbishment ensures the extended life of devices, delivering benefits on carbon emissions and
social sustainability.

By Sheryl Moore, head of sustainability, Stone, A Converge Company