Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for organisations of all sizes, as the need to reduce environmental impact and meet new regulations continues to grow.
Why Is Sustainability So Important For Business?
Across the UK, more organisations are recognising the value of sustainable practices. Climate change, supply chain pressures, and regulatory updates are all driving this shift.
Taking steps to operate more sustainably can help reduce your organisation’s environmental footprint and manage risks, like rising resource costs or disruptions to supply. There’s also a clear business case: companies that focus on sustainability are more appealing to investors. According to Morgan Stanley, nearly 70% of investors factor in a company’s sustainability practices when making decisions. Customers and other stakeholders are also raising their expectations for responsible business.
While fewer than half of UK businesses have set formal sustainability targets, this is above the global average of 39%. Encouragingly, nearly two-thirds of UK organisations were expected to maintain or increase their investment in sustainability in 2025, with a focus on areas like renewable energy, carbon reduction, and sustainable procurement.
Making sustainability part of everyday strategy can help an organisation stay competitive, drive innovation, and support a greener future. And while big initiatives matter, smaller daily actions can add up to real change.
Small Energy-Saving Ideas for the Workplace
For organisations of all sizes, small, everyday tasks can be a valuable start to developing sustainability initiatives:
Assign an energy warden
Just as an organisation might designate a fire warden or a first aider to look after workplace safety, appointing an energy warden to oversee energy use can be invaluable. By having someone dedicated to monitoring and improving energy usage, small inefficiencies can be spotted early and addressed, making it easier to implement changes that benefit both the environment and your organisation.
Promote responsible equipment use
Training sessions or awareness campaigns can help employees understand the importance of energy efficiency and encourage people to power down computers, monitors, and other equipment at the end of the day. Clear guidelines can also normalise energy-saving habits across the business.
Organising a competition between departments or teams to see who can reduce their consumption the most could encourage better energy-saving habits whilst improving team morale and collaboration
Automatic lighting and equipment controls
Installing motion sensors or timers means that energy-efficient lights, heating, and office equipment are only in use when needed. Automating these could also help prevent unnecessary energy consumption.
Setting thermostats to appropriate temperatures and having heating and cooling systems serviced regularly could reduce overall energy use, as well as zoning workspaces so that only occupied areas are heated or cooled.
Remote working and flexible hours
Allowing employees to work from home or adjust their working hours could reduce the environmental footprint. By enabling remote work, your organisation could lower carbon emissions and energy consumption in the office. Flexible hours can also help stagger energy use throughout the day, reducing peak demand.
Supporting these options could also improve employee satisfaction and work-life balance, making your organisation more adaptable and resilient.
Read more about how to create an environmentally friendly workplace.
Free tools
Small actions are easy to implement and can build over time to create a meaningful impact. There are many resources available to help businesses assess, implement, and measure their climate and sustainability efforts:
- The Carbon Trust: The organisation’s website features a free carbon footprint calculator. This is specifically designed for SMEs and covers both fuel consumption and energy consumption. Although this calculator doesn’t provide a complete evaluation of your organisation’s carbon footprint, it can give you enough insight to show if you are reducing your environmental impact.
- The Business Climate Hub: The organisation’s website includes free tools such as a carbon calculator and net zero sector guide. It also provides advice on reducing environmental impact and saving costs.
- Zero Waste Scotland: The website offers a knowledge hub for businesses and a climate change assessment tool for public sector organisations.
Sustainability Ideas For Businesses – Environmental Schemes and Initiatives
There are a number of schemes which have been set up to help encourage everyone to have more of a positive impact from an environmental perspective. For well-established organisations, joining these schemes and initiatives could provide a competitive edge that’s more attractive to potential customers and stakeholders.
Workplace Charging Scheme
The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a government initiative that supports businesses in installing electric vehicle (EV) charging points at their premises.
Employers can apply for vouchers that provide funding of up to 75% of the purchase and installation costs, capped at £350 per charging socket. Funding is potentially available for up to 40 sockets across all sites per applicant, with a maximum grant value of £14,000.
The scheme aims to promote the adoption of ultra-low emission vehicles among employees, making workplace charging more accessible and helping organisations reduce their overall carbon footprint. Funding is expected to continue until 31 March 2026.
Groundwork Business Award Scheme
The Groundwork Business Award Scheme recognises organisations adopting environmentally friendly practices through a tiered membership system offering four levels:
- Bronze: Laying foundations for environmentally responsible operations.
- Silver: Monitoring environmental impact and implementing incremental improvements.
- Gold: Advanced environmental initiatives embedded into company culture.
- Platinum: Serving as a role model, inspiring others with high green standards.
Participating in schemes like this one could boost your organisation’s reputation and foster a culture of continual improvement.
The UK SME Voluntary Emissions Standard (VSME)
The VMSE helps small and medium-sized businesses simplify sustainability reporting. Using a ‘create once, share many’ approach, it enables organisations to prepare reliable emissions data for financiers and supply chain partners, reducing duplication and supporting transparency.
Developed with government and industry input, the VSME focuses on core emissions and key Scope 3 categories. It is voluntary and aims to make reporting easier, support access to green finance, and encourage more SMEs to take part in the UK’s net zero transition.
ISO 14001 certification
ISO 14001 is the internationally recognised standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Achieving this certification demonstrates that your organisation has implemented a robust, systematic approach to managing its environmental responsibilities, in line with global and national requirements.
An ISO 14001-compliant EMS supports organisations in identifying, addressing, and reducing the risk of negative environmental impact.
How ISO 14001 Can Support Your Sustainability Ideas
ISO 14001 is valued for its flexibility and can be adopted by organisations of any size or sector. The nature of the standard encourages organisations to build their EMS with their unique needs and context in mind.
If your organisation decides to become ISO 14001-certified, you’ll be guided through every step of the process, from the Stage 1 Audit to your recertification audit three years later.
ISO 14001 offers many benefits, and as an internationally respected certification of environmental excellence, it’s a process worth pursuing.
If you’d like to learn more about ISO 14001, read our guide to ISO 14001, or explore our awareness training courses.
Ready to start your ISO 14001 journey and contribute to a greener future? Request a free quote or contact our team today.
