The fastest ways for a small business to cut its carbon footprint are to measure it, reduce wasted energy in heating and lighting, move to low-carbon electricity, and burn less vehicle fuel. Most of these also lower your bills. Here are ten actions in detail, starting with the ones that usually pay back soonest, followed by a way to prioritise them and track the result.
1. Measure first
You cannot tell what to fix until you know where the emissions are. A simple footprint shows whether heating, electricity or vehicles is your biggest line, and it gives you a baseline to prove later that your changes worked.
You need a year of energy bills, fuel records and travel bookings. Our guide on how to calculate a business carbon footprint takes you through it step by step.
Want the number without the spreadsheet? Enter four figures from your bills and get your monthly CO₂e split by scope. Open the free Business Carbon Calculator
2. Switch to LED lighting
According to the US Department of Energy, LED bulbs use at least 75% less energy than incandescent lighting and last far longer. If your premises still have older lamps or fluorescent tubes, this is often the simplest upgrade, and it needs no change in how people work.
Go further with controls. Occupancy sensors in storerooms, toilets and corridors mean lights are only on when someone is there. Daylight sensors near windows dim the lights when the sun is doing the job.
3. Take control of heating and cooling
Heating an empty building is pure waste, and heating is often the largest energy use in an office or shop. Three checks cost nothing:
- Set time schedules that match your real opening hours, including weekends and holidays.
- Make sure heating and air conditioning are never running against each other in the same space.
- Agree sensible temperature settings and stop them being changed ad hoc.
Then service boilers and air conditioning on schedule. A well-maintained system uses less energy, and regular checks catch refrigerant leaks, which are a significant source of emissions in their own right.
4. Stop heat escaping
Insulation cuts the energy you need in the first place, so every other heating measure works better. Start with the cheap fixes: draught-proof doors and windows, insulate hot water pipes and tanks, and keep external and loading doors closed. Loft or roof insulation is the next step where you own the building or can agree it with the landlord.
If you rent, raise it at lease renewal. Lower energy bills make a building easier to let, so landlords have a reason to listen.
5. Buy or generate low-carbon electricity
A renewable electricity tariff backed by certificates lowers your market-based Scope 2 emissions, in some cases to zero. Ask the supplier what backs the tariff, because the quality of green tariffs varies.
Rooftop solar goes further by reducing the electricity you take from the grid at all. It suits businesses that use most of their power during the day. When a gas boiler reaches the end of its life, look at a heat pump. It moves heat instead of generating it, so it delivers several units of heat for each unit of electricity it uses.
6. Switch off and upgrade equipment
Computers, screens, compressors, coffee machines and refrigeration left running overnight add up. Walk round the premises after closing and note what is still on. Then fix it with timers, power management settings and a simple closing-up checklist.
When equipment is due for replacement, compare energy labels and running costs, not only the purchase price. For fridges, freezers and compressors, the electricity used over the product’s life usually costs far more than the difference in price.
7. Cut vehicle fuel
For any business with vans or cars, fuel is often the largest source of Scope 1 emissions. The low-cost steps come first:
- Plan routes to avoid empty miles and repeat visits.
- Keep tyres at the right pressure and remove unused roof racks and excess weight.
- Train drivers in smooth driving and switching off when stationary.
- Track fuel use per vehicle so you can see which ones, and which routes, are wasteful.
When vehicles are replaced, compare electric models on total cost over their life, including fuel, maintenance and tax, not just purchase price. Electric vans suit predictable local routes that return to base each night.
8. Rethink business travel
Ask whether a trip is needed before booking it. Use video calls for routine meetings and save travel for the ones where being in the room matters. Where the journey time is reasonable, take the train instead of a short flight, since rail typically has far lower emissions per passenger kilometre. When flying is unavoidable, economy class has a smaller footprint per seat than business class, and combining several meetings into one trip avoids repeat journeys.
Putting these rules in a short written travel policy makes them stick.
9. Look at what you buy
For many companies, purchased goods and services are the biggest part of Scope 3. You cannot measure everything, so start with your five largest suppliers by spend. Ask whether they measure their emissions and whether they have a plan to cut them.
Then use the choices you control: buy durable and repairable products, choose refurbished equipment where it does the job, and order less often in larger batches to cut deliveries.
10. Reduce waste and involve your team
Waste you do not create has no footprint. Reduce packaging, repair before replacing, and recycle what is left. Look at what fills your bins in a typical week, because it usually points to one or two materials worth tackling.
Share the footprint with staff and ask for ideas. The people doing the work usually know where energy and materials are being wasted. Give one person responsibility for following up, or the ideas will stay ideas.
How to prioritise
Match the action to your biggest source. Knowing which scope each source belongs to helps you see which actions change which number.
| If your biggest source is | Start with | Then consider |
|---|---|---|
| Heating fuel | Controls, schedules, servicing | Insulation, heat pump |
| Electricity | Switching off, LED lighting | Renewable tariff, solar |
| Vehicle fuel | Route planning, driver training | Electric vehicles |
| Travel | Fewer trips, travel policy | Rail over short flights |
| Purchased goods | Ask top suppliers for data | Durable, refurbished, fewer deliveries |
Quick wins and investments
Sort your list into two groups. Quick wins cost little and can be done this month: heating schedules, switching off, tyre pressures, a travel policy. Investments need money and planning: insulation, solar, heat pumps, electric vehicles. Do the quick wins first. They lower your bills straight away and show you how much energy you really need before you size a new system.
Set a target and track it
Pick a baseline year and set a reduction target for Scope 1 and 2, for example a percentage cut by a named year. Check progress every month using the same method each time. Report both the total and an intensity figure, such as tonnes of CO₂e per employee, so growth in the business does not hide real improvement.
Be careful with claims. Say what you have measured and reduced, with the numbers. Avoid broad statements such as carbon neutral unless you can show exactly what they are based on.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to cut emissions?
Behaviour and controls: heating schedules, switching equipment off and planning routes cost little or nothing.
Does buying carbon offsets reduce my footprint?
No. Offsets are reported separately from your emissions. Cut what you can first.
How long before I see a difference?
Heating and lighting changes show up in the next bill. Vehicle and supplier changes take longer.
We rent our premises. What can we do?
You still control schedules, settings, lighting, equipment, vehicles, travel and purchasing. Raise insulation and heating upgrades with the landlord when the lease is renewed.
Is a renewable tariff enough on its own?
It lowers your market-based electricity emissions, but it does nothing for heating fuel, vehicles or Scope 3. Use it alongside efficiency, not in place of it.
Sources
About the author
Georgi Todorov is an eco activist and entrepreneur. He runs Ecoki, where he builds free tools and guides that help small businesses measure and cut their carbon footprint.