When the world stood still during the COVID-19 pandemic, tech start-up company Greener saw this as their opportunity to change the supply chains of businesses, and to encourage an environmentally friendly way of working. They describe themselves as a ‘sustainable matchmaking service’. They believe that sustainability starts with finding the right partners, which allows people to build a sustainable network of suppliers.
Greener takes on the task of sourcing, vetting and connecting businesses to sustainable partners, so that together they can grow their business and build a sustainable supply chain. They have a vision to accelerate the transition towards an environmentally friendly and sustainable economy, starting from the ground up by working with SME’s.
With such a vision, Greener knew that they themselves needed to incorporate planet friendly working practises into their daily operations.
What were Greener’s biggest impacts on the environment?
Energy consumption
Like most businesses, Greener, needs energy to power their laptops, Wi-Fi and other standard work based electrical appliances. However, Greener is a tech start-up; the service they provide is primarily done online, meaning energy consumption is their main source of carbon emissions.
IT systems and servers
This is linked very closely to the above issue of energy consumption. A lot of electricity is needed to power these systems. There is a growing interest in general for transparency of this and is proving still to be a challenging area.
What did Greener do to take climate action?
Greener’s approach is to make incremental improvements whilst being mindful of efficiency in all aspects.
Energy
They understand the impact of their energy consumption. They are currently transitioning their energy supplier to a renewable-based provider. They are planning to be carbon positive by 2022.
Remote working
Greener was set up during the pandemic, they therefore operate by working remotely. This reduces their transport emissions significantly and they plan to keep this style of working moving forward once COVID guidance and restrictions have fully lifted.
Collaborating ideas
Greener understands that staff engagement is fundamental to achieving a sustainable business. They hold weekly team meetings where staff can contribute any ideas on how to improve their carbon footprint.
How has Business West helped Greener?
“Giulia on the Innovation Team was great at connecting us with fundamental contacts that have allowed us to grow, improve our services, product and industry knowledge and make overall process improvements.”
Dan Yates, Founder of Greener
Greener’s advice for other SME’s
“Perfection is the enemy of improvement. Don’t beat yourself up, do what you can, any step is a good step.”
Simply put by Greener’s founder Dan Yates. Climate change can be an overwhelming topic for a lot of businesses in terms of knowing where to begin.
See how we can help you start your climate action journey.
Trading to Net Zero
How business acts now will shape our planet and communities for centuries to come. Business West is commited to safeguarding the environment and addressing the climate crisis.
