Scotland’s ambitious climate change legislation sets a target date for net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045.
It states that our contribution to climate change will end, definitively, within one generation.
We all have to change the way we live and work to reach net zero. It can be confusing knowing where to start when looking at ways to reduce the environmental impact of your business.
This page signposts helpful resources to get you started and help along the way as we all work to reach net zero.
Business Energy Scotland
Help your business take action for the future by looking at all aspects of your business and how to make it more energy-efficient. You’ll find guides, case studies, practical advice and help on the key areas to consider in this comprehensive business resource from the Scottish Government.
Train as a Green Champion
The Green Champions Training Course is a free CPD Certified online training course for Scottish organisations. The course has been designed to give you new skills and tools so that you can successfully improve the resource efficiency and environmental performance of your organisation – and, of course, save money too. Written by resource efficiency experts, each short Green Champions training module packs in knowledge and experience that will accelerate your understanding of the benefits of resource efficiency and quickly teach you how to:
- Identify cost savings and environmental improvement opportunities
- Effectively collect and analyse data; and
- Be able to bring about change.
The Green Champions Training Course is delivered in three parts – foundation modules, practical modules and advanced modules. You need to complete the foundation modules to gain access to the practical and advanced modules.
Funding support
Loans up to £100k are available to help you pay for energy and carbon-saving upgrades in your business. You could also receive a cash-back grant of up to £20k.
What can it be used for?
An SME loan can be used to finance the installation of energy efficient systems, equipment or building fabric, including:
- heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades.
- renewable heat technologies such as installing an air source heat pump.
- improving insulation, draught-proofing, double or secondary glazing,
- installing LED lighting.
- installing solar panels, wind turbines and wood-burning stoves.
Am I eligible?
The loan is available to Scottish businesses that fall within the EU definition of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), not-for-profit organisations, and charities.
How to calculate your carbon footprint
An example of a company’s carbon footprint
For many businesses, the main contributing factors will be:
- Energy, whether that is gas/electricity/oil or other sources.
- Water
- Waste disposal and recycling.
- Travel – for business and staff commuting.
Collecting your data:
- Look at your energy bills for your total usage in kilowatt hours.
- Water use will be measured in cubic metres and the totals will again be on your bills.
- Fuel for vehicles – how many litres have been bought/used. You will need to look at your petrol/diesel receipts to get this figure.
- Waste – how many tonnes have you sent to landfill. Your waste management service provider should provide you waste transfer notes.
Now it is time to start doing the sums. The equation you need is:
Emissions = Total energy consumption (fuel, electricity) x Emission Factors (fuel, electricity)
You can find all the emission conversion factors on the UK Government’s website here.
Find out more about working out your carbon footprint here.
The Net Zero Toolkit
Create an account on this free business toolkit to learn practical, measurable ways to get your business on the right track to net zero.
Further resources and contacts
- Scottish Government Climate Change information and guidance – gov.scot/policies/climate-change/
- Net Zero Nation – Scottish Government’s advice for business – netzeronation.scot/business
- Business Energy Scotland – businessenergyscotland.org
- Zero Waste Scotland – free advice, information and case studies on reducing waste and creating a circular economy – zerowastescotland.org.uk
- SME Climate Hub – The SME Climate Hub has partnered with Oxford University to support small businesses in reducing their carbon emissions and to provide climate solutions to contribute to climate action in society. The tools and resources directly help all SMEs take concrete steps towards climate action across multiple pathways.
We have the power to make lasting change – take a look at some of the inspiring work going on in our local businesses