Businesses: what can you do?

These guides aim to help you and our business to reduce greenhouse emissions and start developing your net zero pathway.

What can my business or organisation do to act on climate change?

The City Corporation partnered with the charity Heart of the City to deliver tailored support for Small and Medium Enterprises. Find out more about their free course "Climate for SMEs: 4 Steps to Action" which supports businesses in taking action against the climate crisis in four steps, finishing with a plan to reach net zero.

Get the ball rolling at the office

Advise homeworkers on how to reduce their energy use by following these simple tips:

• Unplug electronic devices when not in use
• Switch to a renewable energy provider
• Decrease the brightness of a computer monitor
• Turning down the thermostat by 1 degree 
• Limit the hours the heating is on
• Fill the kettle only by the amount of water needed
• Plan meals to reduce food waste and cooking time
• Shop locally and walk or cycle if possible
• Circulate the working from home top tips pdf
• Walk or cycle where possible. If you are located in the Square Mile, City of London, you can contact Cycle Confident. They offer cycling packages for businesses in the City and your staff can book free cycle skills training with expert instructors
• Promote taking the stairs instead of the lift

Encourage drivers to reduce emissions

• Join the City of London Corporation’s CityAir programmes for 1:1 support with assessing emissions and simple actions to cut emissions in line with your business objectives
• Circulate these posters from Idling Action to raise awareness of emissions
• Promote the value of Ecodriving 
• Request the use of low and zero emission vehicles through your supply chain
• Use local companies and bulk deliveries when ordering goods

Engage your building managers

• Explain responsible waste, recycling and circular economy principles in the office
• Provide recycling and food waste bins
• Go further by appointing ‘Green’ or ‘Recycling’ champions 
• Sign the Plastic Free Pledge 
• Increase the vegetarian and vegan food options in your canteen

Reward, celebrate and share the successes of all your staff

Working for a responsible business is a top driver for staff engagement and retention!

• Motivate your staff with competitions and prizes
• Become a member of the City Corporation’s Clean City Awards Scheme to get access to resources, best practice workshops and then apply for an award
• Apply to the Lord Mayor’s annual Dragon Awards scheme which celebrates social impact. It recognises businesses and community organisations that go above and beyond their core work to significantly impact the regeneration of their local communities.

Now you've done the basics

Do a Scopes 1, 2 and 3 carbon footprint assessment and set actions to reduce the carbon footprint of your operations and value chain.

• Heart of the City has a Climate Action Toolkit to guide to net zero, that you can download for free! The toolkit has been designed especially for SMEs in collaboration with sustainability experts from a variety of sectors and it has four modules: jargon busting, building the business case, measuring your carbon footprint and your net zero action plan, and is full of resources, guides, templates and case studies. 
• The Board Toolkit, created by Chapter Zero, The Berkeley Partnership and the Hughes Hall Centre for Climate Change Engagement, helps businesses to put in place the right strategic plans to identify and successfully address climate challenges. The toolkit makes climate action much more accessible, by providing the evidence needed to get climate change on the senior management’s agenda and to show how, through a few clear steps, businesses can tackle it. 
• Once you have a plan in place, make a commitment in the United Nations Race to Zero and access tools and resources that have been tailored to support your work.