These 7 benefits of calculating your carbon footprint can’t wait until tomorrow

With a recession on the horizon, you probably shouldn’t worry about your carbon footprint. Right?

Wrong.

Yeah, “the house is on fire,” and all that. But with a roof to keep over your head, a family to feed, and a business to run, you’ve got other priorities in mind. That’s exactly why you need to worry about your footprint.

Any business that takes the time to measure their carbon footprint and reduce it is in for some serious benefits in the short- and long-term.

Even with these benefits in mind, we shouldn’t forget the other reasons to act.

The Climate Crisis is Happening Here and Now

Human-caused climate change is underway. Thousand-plus page reports aside, I’m sure if nothing else, you’ve noticed the weird weather, the shifting seasons, and the high pollen counts. You’ve probably been affected in other ways too.

One study published in Nature shows that 85% of people have already been affected by climate change. Whether wildfires, flooding, or extreme storms, climate change affects everyone around the globe. Not only is it bad for people, it’s bad for profits – disrupting the systems your business relies on.

When floods wash out highways, tornadoes demolish fulfillment centers, and storms capsize cargo ships, it affects your business.

Climate action is essential to give your business the best chance to survive and thrive.

You’re probably thinking, “what could I possibly do?”

A lot actually.

Businesses have an important role to play

Every action in our economy creates emissions that contribute to climate change. That means everyone needs to play their part to reduce emissions and limit their environmental impact.

To mitigate the worst consequences of the climate crisis, the entire economy needs to reach net zero by 2050, and we need to cut emissions in half before 2030. That’s only a few years away.

Businesses like yours have a big role to play in helping us get there in time.

The first step to net zero is understanding where we’re at, so we can set targets and manage emissions effectively, which means your business and others need to understand where your emissions come from and how you can reduce them.

This will help you provide consumers with the low-carbon alternatives we need, set an example for other businesses, and set the stage for all the benefits you’ll receive as you travel the path to net zero.

Calculating Your Carbon Footprint is Your First Step

Before those benefits roll in, you need to determine the size of your business’s carbon footprint. We’ll cover how exactly you calculate your carbon footprint in our next article.

For now, here's a brief overview.

Before we get into it, I want to assure you that while reducing your company’s carbon footprint can seem overwhelming, once you get started, you’ll find easy wins that help you gain momentum to tackle even bigger challenges.

Your first step?