Are Online Businesses more Sustainable?
Professional Services account for 10% of Construction CO2
In the UK in 2020 the Construction industry was responsible for 110 tonnes1 of CO2 emissions per £1m spent. Or, to put it another way, almost 58% of emissions from the industries studied. With the Governments drive towards NetZero by 20502 an understanding of how our actions impact the environment is more important than ever. Of this 110t of CO2 Professional Services were responsible for 10 tonnes3 of CO2 emissions per £1m spent.
E-Commerce has been given a bad rap for environmental issues leading to an increase is packaging and an increase in carbon costs due to travel and logistics, Byrd have commended that 2bn tons of waste end up in landfills worldwide annually4 so understanding where our waste goes is important to avoid it ending up in the great pacific garbage patch. Taking a services business online however means your business has great potential to reduce carbon emissions and waste.
If we look back to 2020, when the pandemic was in full swing offices around the country closed. In England whilst many sites closed, the construction industry was nonetheless encouraged to continue its operations.5 Thus business continued amidst the global reduction in carbon emissions due to less travel and offices being shut for varying periods. Nature comment that in this period daily carbon emissions reduced by 17%. Permanently taking your service provision online helps to support the ongoing reduction of carbon emissions.
Mensura’s unique service centre means that the services are delivered in a paperless environment. A Study by Multibriefs has shown that cost of printing in office space is typically USD $80/person. Mensura save this cost leading to lower overheads, which are passed on to you together with lower carbon emissions and waste - all of which supports our drive to NetZero.
The British Business Bank has undertaken research that shows that SME’s account for half of commercial driven emissions6. Mensura’s unique on-line offering means we are playing our part in reducing the the amount of carbon associated with engaging professional services.
Mensura services are delivered in a collaborative digital environment whereby these carbon emissions are reduced and travel when necessary is undertaken in the most efficient manner possible using public transport the cost of which is covered by our overhead but the carbon benefit is captured in your projects.
[1] Office for National Statistics, Atmospheric emissions: greenhouse gas emissions intensity by industry, Accessed Jan 2023, https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/datasets/ukenvironmentalaccountsatmosphericemissionsgreenhousegasemissionsintensitybyeconomicsectorunitedkingdom
[2] UK Government, Review of NetZero, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-net-zero#:~:text=The%20government%20is%20committed%20to,burdens%20on%20businesses%20or%20consumers. Accessed Jan 2023
[3] Office for National Statistics, Atmospheric emissions: greenhouse gas emissions intensity by industry, Accessed Jan 2023, https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/datasets/ukenvironmentalaccountsatmosphericemissionsgreenhousegasemissionsintensitybyeconomicsectorunitedkingdom
[4] Byrd, The impact of growing e-commerce on the environment, https://blog.getbyrd.com/en/rise-of-sustainable-ecommerce, accessed Jan 2023.
[5] UK Government, Letter to those working int eh construction industry, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948061/letter-to-construction-sector-december-2020.pdf, Accessed Jan 2023
[6] The British Business Bank, Smaller Business and Transition to Net Zero, https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/J0026_Net-Zero-Infographic-v6-title.pdf, Accessed Jan 2023.
