In the autumn of 2021, we decided that MSB Executive would embark on the journey to Net Zero. I was appointed to guide us there. Three years later, we are a transformed business. Consciousness of our carbon footprint now informs every choice we make, from how we travel to whether we attach files to emails. I am happy to report that we are gradually reducing our emissions. However, we have a long way to go, and some tough decisions lie ahead.
First Steps
A major challenge during the first eighteen months of our Net Zero journey was to educate ourselves. We were helped along the way by Heart of the City, a climate action charity that works in partnership with the City of London Corporation. We now ‘speak the language’ and appreciate the distinction between net zero and carbon neutral, reduction and removal offsets, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions. Heart of the City helped us to understand and categorise our operations. They showed us what to measure, how to measure it, and how to use this data to calculate our emissions.
Setting a Baseline
2022 was our baseline year. We collected data across all our activities, including the kilometres we travelled, the kWh of electricity we consumed and the hours we worked from home. It was a dramatic moment when I finally knew our total carbon footprint for that year (a modest but also frightening 8 tonnes).
2023
At the beginning of 2023, we took a close look at which of MSB Executive’s behaviours were most material — that is, those that made the most significant contributions to our footprint. We chose work trips (within the UK and Europe) as an area where we could begin to make different choices. Where feasible, we began taking the train instead of flying and looked for hotels with eco credentials. We also addressed our commuting to and from our London office and walked, cycled or LimeBiked at every opportunity.
At the same time, 2023 was a year of growth for MSB Executive. We moved to a bigger office, travelled around the city more, took more overseas trips, spent more nights in hotels and bought in more goods and services. The great news is that, in spite of this growth, our carbon footprint did not increase. In fact, our 2023 footprint was practically identical to our 2022 footprint.
Where We Go From Here
I am now beginning to gather in our data for this year. I aim to report on our 2024 emissions in Spring 2025. Because of significant changes we have made this year, we are confident of seeing a reduction in our carbon footprint, which we have committed to halve by 2030.
As we look ahead to 2025, we will continue to make greener choices about how we travel, where we work and what we consume. We have also made a new decision: to broaden our sense of what it means to be a responsible business. We will continue our environmental efforts but also launch a new programme to make a positive social contribution. We have not yet decided what form that will take but are excited by the prospect. Watch this space for further announcements!
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