Climate Positive – one year later

Tue, Aug 24, 2021

We’ve just reached our first anniversary of being a Climate Positive Workforce and offsetting our carbon emissions.

Starting our climate positive journey

Caring for the environment and creating a better future is something we are all passionate about at Portt & Co. Last year we decided to make an official commitment and signed to up offset our carbon emissions with Ecologi.

By partnering with Ecologi, we came a Climate Positive Workforce. This means that we offset the carbon emissions for every member of Portt & Co staff. However, this isn’t just in a professional capacity, it’s their entire carbon footprint, which includes hobbies, travel, holidays, food and more.

Seeing the impact we were making gave us the encouragement and motivation to go further, not just for us, but our future generations. We then made the decision to start our journey to become a B Corporation.

One year of climate action

You might be wondering what a year of being Climate Positive looks like, so here’s an overview:

We’ve planted 3,522 trees. Of those trees, 63% are mangroves, which capture four times as much carbon per acre than tropical rainforests.

By supporting climate projects around the world, we’ve offset 161.84 tonnes of CO2e. The carbon reduction projects are certified at the highest level by Gold Standard and equivalent.

To find out more about our commitment, visit our forest and take a look in more detail.

What being climate positive means to us

We asked the team how they feel about us celebrating our first year of offsetting our carbon emissions, here’s what they said:

Siobhan, Head of Operations “It makes me feel really proud that the company I work for (and team) cares about our planet and future. Action speaks volumes and I hope people see that becoming a Climate Positive workforce will encourage more to make a change!”

Katy, Head of Payroll “Nature has always been a big part of my life and is something I am passionate about. As a member of The Woodland Trust and a huge lover of spending time in woodlands and forests – I was really excited when I heard that we were signing up with Ecologi! It feels amazing to work for a company that actually thinks about this kind of stuff and is taking such positive action.”

Matt T, Senior Management Accountant “Climate change is one of (if not) the largest issue we currently face, and while individuals also should change their lifestyles where possible to help reduce emissions, the biggest contributors to global emissions are still large corporations. I am incredibly proud to work for Portt & Co who have not only acknowledged this crisis we face but have stepped up and implemented change to make us a climate positive workforce.”

How can small businesses help tackle climate change?

There are so many ways that businesses can help to fight climate change, but the first thing they need to do is commit. Saying you’re going to do something is very different to actually implementing it. Remember, actions speak louder than words!

Start by setting yourself some targets and put policies and procedures in place to take accountability. Try starting small, like issuing reusable water bottles to all staff to stop single use plastic, switching your milk delivery to reusable glass bottles or putting an official recycling system in place at the office.

If you can, consider appointing an environmental steward from your existing staff team, someone who is passionate about implementing change and will happily speak up to issue updates and share ideas.

We would also recommend looking into an offsetting partner. It’s a small price to pay each month, but it makes a big difference.