Name: 5 steps to make your business greener
Uploaded: 2023-01-20T14:33:34.325Z
Duration: 316.76
Description: How sustainable is your business? Some of your business practices probably already give you green credentials, but could you do better? Parag Rastogi, research scientist at Arnco with a decade of experience in sustainability, examines five areas your business should take a close look at, and explains how you can get even greener.

Parag v4.mp4

Parag v4.vtt

English

{{00:00:09}}
So if you're a business and you're
thinking about how you can be greener in

{{00:00:12}}
your activities, the best place to start
is to look at where you already are.

{{00:00:18}}
There are some things that might
already be great, but there's

{{00:00:21}}
probably a lot more you can do as
a business to be greener today.

{{00:00:31}}
So as a business, you may be a tenant
in a space or you may be the owner

{{00:00:34}}
of your space and your building may
already have, you know, up to code

{{00:00:38}}
lighting, efficient lighting, you
might have efficient glazing, and

{{00:00:42}}
these sorts of building components
that are increasingly commonplace.

{{00:00:46}}
So the next step you need to think about
is, of course you might have an efficient

{{00:00:49}}
space, but are you using it efficiently?

{{00:00:51}}
Because if you don't need a space, then
no amount of efficient heating and cooling

{{00:00:56}}
and glazing is useful because you don't
need that space, you're not occupying it.

{{00:01:01}}
So it is worthwhile considering
how you actually use spaces.

{{00:01:04}}
Do your employees want to
be in the office every day?

{{00:01:07}}
Do your employees need that much space?

{{00:01:09}}
And if it turns out you do, that's
fine, but you know, it's worth

{{00:01:11}}
looking at to examine your impact.

{{00:01:20}}
Now that leads us really nicely into the
building systems because the building

{{00:01:24}}
systems, of course, are there to make
you comfortable, to give you fresh air.

{{00:01:27}}
But if you're not in the space, it doesn't
make sense for those systems to be on and

{{00:01:31}}
running at sort of the conventional modes.

{{00:01:34}}
So for example, you might already have
automatic turnoff lights, lights that turn

{{00:01:39}}
off automatically, or HVAC systems that
dial back the temperature automatically.

{{00:01:44}}
But it does make sense
to check your schedules.

{{00:01:46}}
What we call commissioning, or
recommissioning, or retrocommissioning,

{{00:01:50}}
and to check them again and again and to
get them commissioned again and again.

{{00:01:54}}
Your set points, your schedules to make
sure they're appropriate for your needs

{{00:01:58}}
today and tomorrow, and you know what
you actually use is what the system does.

{{00:02:03}}
Eventually, you're probably looking
at capital projects, which, and

{{00:02:07}}
any time you make a capital project
decision, you should be looking at

{{00:02:10}}
decarbonising your heating and cooling.

{{00:02:12}}
An efficient boiler is good,
but a heat pump which runs on

{{00:02:16}}
green electricity is better.

{{00:02:23}}
Thinking about the activities of the
business, you know, material use is

{{00:02:27}}
a big deal and it's a big part of
your carbon footprint as a business.

{{00:02:30}}
And you know, you might already
have a recycling programme in

{{00:02:33}}
place, which is fantastic, and
you should double down on that.

{{00:02:37}}
But also, it makes sense to
look at your supply chain.

{{00:02:40}}
What do you procure?

{{00:02:41}}
Who do you procure from?

{{00:02:42}}
Are those suppliers also trying
to decarbonise or do they

{{00:02:46}}
have a definite plan to do so?

{{00:02:47}}
Are you actually preferring
suppliers that have carbon free, or

{{00:02:52}}
lower impact, or no impact, or re
regenerative supply chains themselves?

{{00:02:56}}
And that's an important thing
to consider when you're making

{{00:03:00}}
your supply chain decisions.

{{00:03:01}}
It is good to recycle materials.

{{00:03:04}}
That's a fantastic thing to
do, but it's also better not to

{{00:03:06}}
procure materials you don't need.

{{00:03:13}}
So as a business, you might already be
procuring green energy through your local

{{00:03:17}}
supplier, and in fact, your grid might
be decarbonising as well, both of which

{{00:03:21}}
are great things, and you might even have
located in places that have abundant green

{{00:03:24}}
energy, and that's also a great thing.

{{00:03:26}}
But the next step in this journey
is to look at combustion onsite.

{{00:03:31}}
Are you actually using
fossil fuels onsite?

{{00:03:34}}
An efficient boiler is great, and
that's what we've been talking about

{{00:03:36}}
for the last 20 years, but an efficient
boiler is no longer good enough.

{{00:03:39}}
We need electric systems that are way
more efficient than boilers, and we

{{00:03:44}}
need to think about the resilience of
our systems, and the energy supply for

{{00:03:49}}
your business and for the community
around you so that you become an active

{{00:03:53}}
participant in the decarbonisation
of your grid and your area.

{{00:04:02}}
And then the other aspect of being part
of a community, of course, is looking

{{00:04:06}}
outside your employees', welfare, right?

{{00:04:09}}
So looking beyond your employees' welfare.

{{00:04:12}}
So, you might already be paying your
employees well, and that's a great thing.

{{00:04:15}}
You might have good holiday allowances,
you have good maternity and paternity

{{00:04:20}}
leave, and those are all fantastic
policies that you should have,

{{00:04:23}}
and you should continue to have
and listening to your employees.

{{00:04:26}}
But it's also interesting too,
for the business, as a business,

{{00:04:30}}
to look outside your employees
and to look into the community.

{{00:04:34}}
Do you have apprentices?

{{00:04:36}}
Are you trying to train
the workforce of tomorrow?

{{00:04:38}}
Are you trying to support, are
you actively supporting women

{{00:04:42}}
re-entering the workforce after
having children, for example?

{{00:04:46}}
Are you actually doing projects, which
may not sometimes make total business

{{00:04:51}}
sense in the short term, but they
actually support your community and they

{{00:04:55}}
deliver good outcomes for the community?

{{00:04:57}}
Because a business that is detached
from its community is not a sustainable

{{00:05:03}}
business, no matter how green, how many
solar panels you have on your roof.

{{00:05:06}}
So, it makes sense to anchor
yourself in the community.

So if you're a business and you're
thinking about how you can be greener in

your activities, the best place to start
is to look at where you already are.

There are some things that might
already be great, but there's

probably a lot more you can do as
a business to be greener today.

So as a business, you may be a tenant
in a space or you may be the owner

of your space and your building may
already have, you know, up to code

lighting, efficient lighting, you
might have efficient glazing, and

these sorts of building components
that are increasingly commonplace.

So the next step you need to think about
is, of course you might have an efficient

Because if you don't need a space, then
no amount of efficient heating and cooling

and glazing is useful because you don't
need that space, you're not occupying it.

So it is worthwhile considering
how you actually use spaces.

Do your employees want to
be in the office every day?

And if it turns out you do, that's
fine, but you know, it's worth

Now that leads us really nicely into the
building systems because the building

systems, of course, are there to make
you comfortable, to give you fresh air.

But if you're not in the space, it doesn't
make sense for those systems to be on and

running at sort of the conventional modes.

So for example, you might already have
automatic turnoff lights, lights that turn

off automatically, or HVAC systems that
dial back the temperature automatically.

But it does make sense
to check your schedules.

What we call commissioning, or
recommissioning, or retrocommissioning,

and to check them again and again and to
get them commissioned again and again.

Your set points, your schedules to make
sure they're appropriate for your needs

today and tomorrow, and you know what
you actually use is what the system does.

Eventually, you're probably looking
at capital projects, which, and

any time you make a capital project
decision, you should be looking at

An efficient boiler is good,
but a heat pump which runs on

Thinking about the activities of the
business, you know, material use is

a big deal and it's a big part of
your carbon footprint as a business.

And you know, you might already
have a recycling programme in

place, which is fantastic, and
you should double down on that.

But also, it makes sense to
look at your supply chain.

Are those suppliers also trying
to decarbonise or do they

Are you actually preferring
suppliers that have carbon free, or

lower impact, or no impact, or re
regenerative supply chains themselves?

And that's an important thing
to consider when you're making

That's a fantastic thing to
do, but it's also better not to

So as a business, you might already be
procuring green energy through your local

supplier, and in fact, your grid might
be decarbonising as well, both of which

are great things, and you might even have
located in places that have abundant green

But the next step in this journey
is to look at combustion onsite.

Are you actually using
fossil fuels onsite?

An efficient boiler is great, and
that's what we've been talking about

for the last 20 years, but an efficient
boiler is no longer good enough.

We need electric systems that are way
more efficient than boilers, and we

need to think about the resilience of
our systems, and the energy supply for

your business and for the community
around you so that you become an active

participant in the decarbonisation
of your grid and your area.

And then the other aspect of being part
of a community, of course, is looking

So looking beyond your employees' welfare.

So, you might already be paying your
employees well, and that's a great thing.

You might have good holiday allowances,
you have good maternity and paternity

leave, and those are all fantastic
policies that you should have,

and you should continue to have
and listening to your employees.

But it's also interesting too,
for the business, as a business,

to look outside your employees
and to look into the community.

Are you trying to train
the workforce of tomorrow?

Are you trying to support, are
you actively supporting women

re-entering the workforce after
having children, for example?

Are you actually doing projects, which
may not sometimes make total business

sense in the short term, but they
actually support your community and they

Because a business that is detached
from its community is not a sustainable

business, no matter how green, how many
solar panels you have on your roof.

So, it makes sense to anchor
yourself in the community.

SME's sustainability

Best Practice

How sustainable is your business? Some of your business practices probably already give you green credentials, but could you do better?
Parag Rastogi, research scientist at Arnco with a decade of experience in sustainability, examines five areas your business should take a close look at, and explains how you can get even greener.

Sustainability

Community

Business

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Parag Rastogi

Research Scientist

Understanding how the building is used and what is essential can help your business be more efficient. 


Step 1: Building

Are your building systems really working for you?  Rastogi explains how to get the most from them.


 Step 2: Systems 

How much do you know about your suppliers? How you procure and from who can have a big impact.


Step 3 : Supply Chain 

When thinking about energy use, it's time to start thinking big. Rastogi explains how you can help with the drive to decarbonisation. 


Step 4: Energy Use 

Looking beyond your own business is also a part of the process of having a more sustainable business. Rastogi advises anchoring yourself in the local community. 
