More than ever, climate change has been in the spotlight with calls for world leaders to address the issue. With the rise in natural disasters all over the planet and increasing concern for our futures, many can’t help but wonder if we can still stop the negative impacts of climate change? While there is no clear answer, what is clear is that the best way to attempt to slow down the crisis is to reduce our carbon footprint. In the spirit of Energy Efficiency Day, Norango, the world’s first ever zero-emissions online contact centre, shares expert advice on making your business more energy-efficient while reducing your carbon footprint. 

Modernise Your Electrical Appliances

This may sound like a no-brainer but many offices throughout the UK still don’t use energy-efficient LED bulbs, or they are trying to scrimp and save on office costs by having old appliances. However, since old electrical appliances are less adapted to modern environmental requirements and are less energy-efficient, not only are they more harmful for the environment but they will rack up higher power bills for you and your business in the long run too.

Along with upgrading all electrical appliances to modern models, make sure to also set them to ‘sleep’ mode while not in use. Most computers, printers and other electronic devices offer a ‘sleep’ mode after a certain amount of idle time which can reduce their energy consumption by up to 70 percent.

Outsource or Go Remote

Norango’s recent carbon footprint assessment showed that during 8 months of work, a remote Norango employee produces only 0.5 tonnes of CO2 compared to an average 3.5 tonnes by a regular office worker, which skyrockets up to 20 tonnes of CO2 per employee at high energy-consuming organisations. Traditional call centres using a large office space, employing several hundred employees, may even produce over 2700 tonnes of CO2 in only six months.

In order to offset just one tonne of carbon dioxide emissions, 50 trees need to be planted and grown for at least a year. 

In our post-pandemic world, the advantages of having a team working totally or partially remotely are clear: higher employee motivation, no daily commutes and positive environmental and financial impacts.  Conservative estimates suggest that even a microbusiness spends at least GPB£2300 on their electricity and gas bills per year, increasing to at least GBP£7500 for mid-sized businesses. The ability to outsource call handling to a fully-remote company like Norango eliminates the need for a reception desk and dedicated office space, while offering a high-quality service, reducing the environmental impact and business expenses. 

Join a Carbon Offset Programme

Currently, it is very difficult for businesses to reduce their carbon footprint to an absolute zero. Even those teams that are operating on a 100 percent remote basis still produce a certain amount of CO2. In these cases, companies could consider joining carbon offset programmes to get closer to net-zero carbon impact. In addition to their daily efforts to make their business model as sustainable as possible, Norango also invests in carbon offset programmes to reduce their already-minimal carbon emissions.