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Making Charities Carbon Neutral: A Guide

Amy Sellers, a Principal Consultant at NatureMetrics, will be presenting at our next Charity Networking Event on how charities can become carbon neutral. In anticipation, Amy has kindly provided an article on the steps charities in North Surrey can take to become carbon neutral and more environmentally responsible.

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Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. As global temperatures rise due to greenhouse gas emissions, we’re seeing increasing impacts on our environment, society, and economy. From more frequent extreme weather events to rising sea levels, the effects of climate change are becoming impossible to ignore.

In the face of this global challenge, every sector of society needs to play its part – including charities. But why should charities, who are already focused on doing good, worry about their carbon footprint?

Primarily, it is about ethical responsibility. As organizations dedicated to making positive change, charities should ensure their operations align with the broader goal of protecting our planet. However more broadly, by taking action on climate change, charities can lead by example, inspiring their supporters and other organizations to follow suit. Finally, becoming carbon neutral helps future-proof charities against changing regulations and growing stakeholder expectations.

For charities, the potential impact of going carbon neutral extends beyond just your own operations and volunteers – your actions can have a multiplier effect. Your carbon footprint includes not just your office operations, travel, and events, but also indirectly encompasses the activities of the work you support and your volunteers.

So, what can your organisation do to become carbon neutral? The first step is setting clear targets. In line with the Paris Agreement, aims for net-zero emissions by 2050 are seen as the minimum effort, to avoid serious harm to our planet. To achieve this, there is a need to:

1. Conduct a comprehensive carbon audit to establish your current emissions baseline. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol develops the world’s most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards and guidance but would require familiarity with carbon accounting. Otherwise, the Business Carbon Calculator by Normative is a great tool.
2. Develop a carbon reduction strategy with short, medium, and long-term goals. The SME Climate Hub Action Guides help companies set targets and strategies to reduce their emissions across all scopes. The guidance focuses on simplicity and speed, with steps that can be implemented directly into your company’s climate action plan.
3. Implement energy-saving measures in offices and operations. Action Guide – Office Buildings is a great tool.
4. Switch to renewable energy sources where possible. This guide introduces the key considerations and steps involved in setting up renewable energy capacity at your organisation’s office or factory.
5. Encourage sustainable transport options for staff and volunteers, particularly focussing on Employee/Volunteer Commuting.
6. Adopt sustainable procurement policies. This guide offers a step-by-step approach to collaborating with your suppliers to lower emissions in your value chain. It provides a framework which encourages suppliers to act against climate change. You can follow the steps in order or start with the ones that are easiest for you to implement right now.
7. Explore carbon offsetting for any unavoidable emissions.

At an organizational level, you can appoint a sustainability champion or team to drive these efforts. Sustainability considerations should be integrated into your decision-making processes, providing staff training on carbon reduction, and regularly monitoring and reporting on your progress.

But efforts shouldn’t stop at your own doors, you can extend the impact across the value chain by:

• Encouraging volunteers to walk, cycle, or use public transport when possible.
• Promoting virtual meetings and remote volunteering opportunities to reduce travel.
• Supporting partner charities in their own carbon reduction efforts.
• Engaging donors and supporters in your carbon neutrality journey.

By taking these steps, charities can play a significant role in addressing climate change. You can demonstrate that charities, regardless of their size or focus, can contribute to this global effort. Moreover, by reducing your carbon footprint, you’re not just helping the environment – you are also likely to become more efficient and resilient as an organization.

Climate change is a challenge that affects us all, and it will take all of us working together to address it. As a charity support organization, there is a unique opportunity to lead by example and to amplify your impact through the network of charities and volunteers you work with.

Amy Sellers, Principal Consultant, NatureMetrics

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If you would like to see Amy present at our next Charity Networking Event on 31 October, you can book your place here. The event is free to attend and will feature two other speakers (who are yet to be confirmed) followed by an opportunity to network.