At Microcomms, it’s crucial to us that we do more to be as sustainable as possible. We believe ours should form part of a shared effort by businesses across the full spectrum of industry – to reduce our carbon footprint and to champion a brighter, greener future for the planet we call home. This is why we are applying to become B-Corp certified, and hope to be by the end of this year.
What is a B Corp?
A B Corp, or Benefit Corporation, is a type of for-profit corporation that is legally required to consider the impact of its decisions not only on shareholders, but also on society and the environment. B-Corps meet certain standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, and are certified by B Lab, a non-profit organization.
Why are B-Corps important?
B Corps are important because they are committed to using business as a force for good. By prioritising social and environmental outcomes in addition to profit, they can drive positive change and help address some of the world’s most pressing problems. B-Corps also tend to have a more transparent and accountable approach to business; at Microcomms, we hope this will help us to build on our already strong relationships, not only with our clients, but with our own teams, too. After all, in order to achieve B-Corp certification and make our business a force for good, we need buy-in from everybody. Luckily for us, we have it!
What are the benefits of being a B Corp?
Some of the benefits of being a B Corp include access to a community of like-minded businesses, increased visibility and credibility, and legal protection to pursue a mission beyond maximising shareholder value. By choosing to work with or support B Corps, individuals and organisations can contribute to a more sustainable and equitable economy.
What is Microcomms doing to contribute to a more sustainable economy?
The first thing to mention is Scope Emissions. Scope Emissions refer to the categories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with an organisation’s activities, as defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which is a widely used accounting tool for GHG emissions.
There are three scopes of GHG emissions:
- Scope 1: Direct emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the organization, such as emissions from combustion in company-owned boilers or vehicles. As Microcomms lease our premises, our only scope 1 emissions are our company vehicles.
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy, such as electricity, heating, or cooling purchased by the organization.
- Scope 3: Indirect emissions that occur in the organisation’s value chain, including both upstream and downstream emissions. These can include emissions from the production of purchased goods and services, employee commuting, business travel, and waste disposal.
Microcomms’ Scope 1 emissions in 2023 totalled 48 tonnes of CO2e. To put this into perspective, it’s the same weight as ten greedy adult hippopotamuses. This may sound like a lot, however, due to our ‘Saved Travel Miles’ initiative, we also saved 52 tonnes of CO2e in the same year, offsetting those 48 tonnes and more. This saving had been made by taking a sustainable approach geographically, using a combination of car sharing, remote working, cycling to work and efficient travel methods. Talk about buy-in from everybody!
How else are we working to stop climate change?
At Microcomms, we are making a concerted effort to monitor and reduce our paper use. In 2017, for example, our average monthly paper use was 3,623 sheets. Fast-forward to 2022, and our monthly average was just 630, representing an 82.6% decrease in use, and saving 269lbs of Co2 per year.
We are also reducing our carbon footprint. In 2022, we calculated our initial Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions. These calculations allow us to then set objectives on how we can reduce our carbon contribution.
Other initiatives our team are buying into include the implementation of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The principle behind this is to reduce the excessive use of energy and natural resources. At Microcomms, this means the banning of single-use plastic in our office operations. Our staff have access to reusable carrier bags, recycled pens and all amenities are made of reusable plastic, for example, the washing up liquid bottles. We also set a yearly goal to save a certain amount of travel miles. This goal is achieved by car sharing, remote working, cycling to work and using efficient transport methods, and it works. In fact, in 2021, we achieved our savings goal of 75,000 miles, and last year, we managed to save 100,000 miles!
What’s next for Microcomms on its journey to B Corp certification?
Having successfully submitted our B Corp impact assessment in January this year, we are now in the evaluation queue, awaiting an assessor. It is our aim to be B-Corp accredited by quarter 4 this year, so watch this space!
How can we help you?
To find out more about our approach to a better, more sustainable way of business, and to find out how we could help your business in a way that helps mitigate your own carbon footprint, be sure to get in touch.
