CSR and Zero Carbon

(Image: SEE Monster)

We have been thinking about our responsibilities as a business and as an advisor of others. What can we do, what should we do? We understand the crude answer is use less but to do that we must do more. Clearly there are wider benefits in a community sense to sharing ideas as to how we get to Net Zero as it is fast becoming something (even if only in legislative terms) that will impact on us all.

Talking about it (more) is clearly a start. Our offices already use electric heating in the form of heat pumps though the fabric is fairly poor given it is an eighties conversion. There remains the option of understanding our energy use in a more holistic way (the stuff we do while at work), changing our energy providers (not currently an option) and ultimately carbon offsetting or installing renewables (particularly as costs have dropped by 30%). We already consume less - a function more of digitisation than anything else and have adopted flexible working patterns. We all still drive to work and site something a rural location makes a necessity but nevertheless needs addressing.

We make private clients aware of forthcoming changes in legislation (for example the Future Homes Standard or the Decarbonisation Fund) as they are often remote from the policy decisions that we grapple with and we have for years fought a less is more approach to insulation and material standards. Some of our larger clients are already on board with regard their wider social and environmental responsibilities as it underpins their corporate identity - a sustainable business model if you like. What is needed now is for us all to develop a sustainable lifestyle model, it is not business as usual.