Green tips to future-proof your business

Future-proofing our businesses used to mean protecting our people and assets from natural disasters or economic crashes. Global pandemics like the one we faced in 2020-2021 are new business-disrupting events that we must consider when building resiliency in our operations.

One way to future-proof your business is to ensure that your business energy supply is procured and managed smartly and efficiently. We can help you with that. 

Apart from that, there are a number of “green” things you can start doing now as a business to protect your employees, bottom line, products, and customers. Green, sustainable practices are crucial as we move away from fossil fuels. It benefits us greatly to implement green, environmentally friendly ways to future-proof our businesses.

Reduce office costs by encouraging hybrid working models

Nearly all of us had to learn new ways to work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Remote working used to be a pie-in-the-sky perk for very few roles and sectors, but now companies of all sorts embrace this working model for varieties of professions. 

There are those who still favor or require on-site work. They have looked to hybrid models of attendance, where employees have the flexibility to work remotely or in the office as they please or as required. These hybrid models of work may be the future of work as they can improve productivity and happiness in employees. In addition to that, you will be saving costs on office energy, supplies, and other operational costs. 

Your company should find the best hybrid working model for your business, since there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. If it makes sense for the way you operate as a business, allow your employees to work a certain number of days from a location of their choosing. There are a few benefits from this, including employees’ moods and productivity being positively affected, a reduction of carbon emissions from traveling, and your office using less energy, saving you more money. 

If on-site work is better suited for your sector and employees, there are several ways you can reduce energy consumption, cost, and emissions. We have five tips on sustainable office changes post-lockdown—a great start to future proof your business. You can also set achievable goals and adopt an energy management plan. 

Look to buy green business energy

The recent energy crisis across the globe has revealed how important it will be to embrace renewable energy technology moving forward. Many business energy suppliers today offer great green energy tariffs, giving you plenty of options to find renewable energy that fits your budget and suits your energy needs.

Our energy consultants are ready to help you find a renewable energy contract that is bespoke to your business needs. Get in touch with us today to get started. 

Sustainable procurement of goods and services

Sustainable procurement is where you prioritize goods, services, works, and utilities that cause minimal impact to the environment. Our supply chains, natural resources, and communities—on which our economies rely—can quickly and devastatingly be affected by environmental disasters brought on by climate change. Seeking sustainable procurement is critical to protecting your business from risks associated with climate disasters.

Sustainable procurement improves your green credentials and boosts your corporate reputation, too. Consumers and investors yearn to see businesses prioritise their environmental impact. Keeping the environment on the top of your list of priorities is a great way to increase your reputation amongst consumers and shareholders. 

Reduce paper use as much as possible

Cloud storage, file sharing, and advanced networking, plus the market for affordable and powerful personal devices, are technologies that allow us to move towards a paperless office environment. The less paper you use, the more money you save. Plus, collaborative platforms like Google Docs or Microsoft Teams let us easily share our work, too. 

Besides, reducing paper usage will reduce office stress since printers are usually out of order anyway.

Host your data on a green cloud

If you are moving towards a paperless office in favor of a more digital one, this will require more servers to host this data online. This means, however, that more servers and data centres will be called into action, and these are some of the most energy-consuming sites anywhere in the world. 

Green web hosting is designed to reduce or eliminate the environmental impact that the service provides. They use natural cooling, energy-efficient hardware, energy-efficient server software, and renewable energy supplies to run data servers hosting their clients’ data. Advancements in technologies supporting green hosting allow companies to innovate in this area and offer professional web hosting that you would find with any regular hosting provider. 

Practical energy saving tips around the office

• • Turn off lights, equipment, and appliances when not in use – This simple tip is worth mentioning since many of us still leave equipment powered on unnecessarily.
    
    Start by reminding employees to shut down their personal computers and other desk equipment during breaks and especially at the end of the day. Keep lights on in the kitchen and restrooms only when they are occupied.
    
    When the day finishes, turn off your heating and air conditioning units. If these need to stay on overnight, set them to temperatures where the units will not have to work so hard. 

• Be smart about boiling water – Coffee and other warm and likely caffeinated beverages are staples in an office kitchen. An energy-saving tip centred on coffee, therefore, is a must.
  
  Encourage employees to boil only the water they need for their drink at that time. The reduction in energy drawn to boil water will create marginal savings—but savings nonetheless—on your final energy bill.   

• Host green challenges for the company – You can motivate your employees to adopt green initiatives by introducing regular challenges with leaderboards and prizes. For example, create a cycle to work day, wear recyclable clothing day, reduce plastic day, and so on. Provide cool and environmentally friendly company gear or other special perks to the winners. Plus, hosting friendly competitions are great for nurturing a lively office atmosphere.

Get more green advice from NGP Americas 

Do you have any questions on how to get your business running on green, sustainable energy? Get in touch with our energy consultants and experts today and start future-proofing your business now.