Graphic Structures is Carbon Neutral
This EarthDay, Graphic Structures are proud to share that the practice is now Carbon Neutral.
By measuring and offsetting our emissions since the founding of our business in 2016, Graphic Structures are on the path towards achieving NetZero before 2050 and our SME Climate Hub pledge to halve our emissions before 2030.
We have committed to remain Carbon Neutral as we work to reduce our impact on the planet, aiming to do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons.
Read more on our journey to NetZero below:
At Graphic Structures, we acknowledge our contribution to the climate crisis as part of the construction industry. As the environmental impact of our designs and the projects to which we contribute, greatly exceed the emissions produced through the operations of the business, reducing the negative impact of our designs on the planet, while increasing the positive impacts they can have on people and places, has been our key focus for improvement.
However, we know this must also be combined with a shift in our behaviours as a practice to fully contribute towards a global effort to reaching Net Zero.
In 2021, via the SME Climate Hub (https://smeclimatehub.org/), we made the following commitment:
Recognising that climate change poses a threat to the economy, nature and society-at-large, our company commits to take action immediately in order to:
Halve our greenhouse gas emissions before 2030*
Achieve net zero emissions before 2050
Disclose our progress on a yearly basis
In doing so, we are proud to be recognised by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, and join governments, businesses, cities, regions, and universities around the world that share the same mission.
* Compared to baseline emissions per FTE figures 2019/20
Path to Net Zero
Our first step to Net Zero will be Carbon Neutrality, when our emissions are offset by contributing to projects that either avoid emissions elsewhere, or remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Becoming Net Zero will require our emissions to be reduced as much as possible, and any remaining emissions be offset by removal and long-term storage. We have set a target to reduce residual emissions to 10% of our baseline, meaning that we must reduce emissions per employee by 90% by 2050.
Measurements
Making use of the guidance available from the Heart of The City climate action toolkit (https://theheartofthecity.com/climate/), we calculated our current and past emissions in the following categories:
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been significant, with emissions from plane travel and business accommodation in 2020 and 2021 reducing to zero, and a decrease in emissions relating to office use and commuting. However, this is offset by the introduction of working from home emissions (primarily gas heating).
Forecasting
Reaching Net Zero will rely, in part, on the decarbonisation of emissions sources beyond our control (passive decarbonisation). Many of these sources have set their own targets to reach Net Zero, including the UK National Electricity Grid (2035), Transport for London (2030), Network Rail (2050) and Water UK (2030).
The main contribution to our future emissions will be Natural Gas, used for heating the office and our homes when working from home. With employees working from home 50-60% of days, the majority of emissions will be domestic. The primary focus prior to 2030 will therefore need to be the accurate measurement and usage reduction of employee domestic gas usage when working from home.
Offsetting
For emissions that cannot be feasibly avoided, or are beyond our control, we must resort to offsetting. Although removal offsetting projects are necessary to reach Net Zero, they can only be truly effective once global emissions are reduced as much as possible. Currently, our focus is on avoidance offsetting schemes that provide additional social, economic and biodiversity benefits aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
As well as committing to offsetting all future emissions to maintain carbon neutrality, we have also offset our emissions since the founding of the company in 2016 through Carbon Footprint (https://www.carbonfootprint.com/)
Tips
For other SMEs carrying out their own assessments:
- It doesn’t need to be perfect. It’s unlikely that all the information you need will be available, but there are many averages and assumptions that can be made to get you in the right ball park and highlight where recording can be improved. Over time, the accuracy of your measurements will increase.
- You do not need to start from scratch, and plenty of guidance is available to help you on your journey, and anyone who’s just gone through the process will most likely be more than willing to help.
- Use the results to increase awareness of sustainable topics within the company, bearing in mind that carbon emissions are only one measure of sustainability – it is just as important to promote reusable packaging, increase recycling awareness and reduce water usage, for example.
