We’ve always had an eye on the environment at HA&W. With this in mind, you may have noticed the growing fleet of electric vehicles at our office.
The electric charging point was an early arrival. After this was installed, we bought solar panels – which can’t be seen from the front of the office as that is a north-facing roof.
We’ve organised simple things to try and reduce our carbon footprint.
The company’s awareness of green issues has been raised by significant changes that have occurred in the investment industry.
ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investing has come of age and we discuss these investment options with all our customers now. The amount of money allocated to such strategies is booming – not just here in the UK, but worldwide.
Calculating our carbon footprint
This year, the directors decided to calculate our carbon footprint. We will check this annually and do our best to reduce it.
In the meantime, the next best thing we can do to mitigate our carbon footprint is to attempt to offset the CO2 emitted by our business. We have pledged to do this on an ongoing basis.
Our calculations indicate that the business emits six tonnes of CO2 annually.
The two main culprits are the LPG-fired gas heating we use to keep the office warm and the carbon cost of commuting. We’ve already cut down on the latter, with two members of staff driving electric vehicles and one heroic staff member regularly cycling to work.
This calculation not only includes the carbon cost of the fuel burned in our engines but also the cost of extraction, refining, and delivery of petrol and diesel to the local forecourt.
If we factor in the cost of manufacturing the vehicles that we drive around in, our CO2 emissions rise to an alarming 16 tonnes annually. We are therefore doing our bit for sustainability by offsetting the entire 16 tonnes using “Gold Standard” solutions.
Gold Standard-certified “Climate+” projects deliver benefits for climate protection, and local people and ecosystems. To earn Gold Standard certification, Climate+ projects must follow best practices for safeguarding principles as well as measuring and verifying contributions to sustainable development.
We will strive to reduce our emissions further and are currently considering battery storage and heat pump technology at our office.
Early on we realised that the best win is to encourage more staff to cycle to work, so of course, we offer the government’s cycle to work scheme. If you wish to reduce your carbon footprint, using a bike regularly is an easy way. It has the added benefit of being good for your health.
If you think cycling is too hard, a great solution is to buy an e-bike. Regular users tell me that riding one of these is a bit like walking – and you can really eat up the miles with minimal effort.
Get in touch
If like our team here at HA&W, you are committed to cutting your carbon footprint, you might consider moving your investments into ESG funds. Contact us now to find out how our Chartered financial planners could help you to align your money with your values on sustainability issues.
