www.gogreen-project.eu This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] and all its contents reflect the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. [Project number: 2020-1-CY01-KA202-065983] ▪ There are costs involved in measuring, monitoring and managing carbon emissions. But the financial opportunities of reducing emissions are clear. For example, it has been estimated that introducing energy-efficiency measures can reduce a SME’s energy costs between 18% and 25%. ▪ A monitoring process/protocol to quantify how much carbon dioxide the business is generating. It will give the SME owners access to real-time data-related insights about how and where they use their energy. This transparency allows businesses to be smarter and more energy-efficient, providing them with an easy way to be more sustainable. ▪ There is a narrow margin for the company to avoid a penalty-fine due to its increased GHG emissions and the waste produced by its activity, which has had a noticeable impact on the ecosystem of the nearby area. Also, business activities are under close scrutiny by stakeholders with regard to their environmental impact. A corporate green image may offer the chance to reestablish their good relationships with the company. ▪ Investments in renewables that reduce emissions can deflect a penalty-fine chance and avoid higher costs from increasingly stringent climate policies. When the business switches to a renewable energy tariff, the next step will be to look into generating its own renewable power. Installing solar panels, for example, is a cost-effective way of ensuring the electricity used is entirely renewable. Except for reducing costs, it also enables businesses to diversify, bringing in a new stream of revenue along with an improved competitive advantage. If done right, it can be of low effort and high impact for the environment and the corporate green image. Making the switch to renewable energy not only reduces environmental impact, but contributes to the wider decarbonization across the national electricity network too. ▪ Energy efficiency improvements can deliver attractive returns on investment. Renewable energy can increasingly be purchased for the same price as fossil-fuel energy, or less. ▪ Electric vehicles (EVs) can deliver lower lifetime costs than the fossil-fueled ones. With the government looking to discourage the sale of internal combustion engine cars in the upcoming years, the business needs to choose the right vehicles to future-proof its operations. Particularly, the business can opt for replacing the two diesel type pickup trucks and its transporter van with respective EV models, since the switching to EVs can offer significant savings. Also, the business can take advantage of the government grants to offset the purchase cost, tax incentives, and lower maintenance and running costs. In this way, the savings can soon add up. By the same token, the business production lines can turn towards hybridization of their machinery, supplementing any fossil-fuel energy used now with cleaner electric power. ▪ Adopting a company-wide switch off policy. Turning the thermostat down by 1°C can reduce annual heating bills by up to 8%. Using energy-efficient lighting the SME can save about 2,000€ per year. Leaving computers and lighting on overnight or setting the production machinery on a standby mode instead of power off, would cost over 900€ per year. ▪ Putting a lot of effort on achieving high process efficiency. By optimizing current processes or introducing new more efficient ones, the company can minimize the required inputs and waste production. For example, it can exploit the timber of the olive trees pruning and sell it either for extra income or provide it to suppliers in order to achieve a lower price. Likewise, an investment in a light scale composting machine after harvesting the vineyard can create natural fertilizer that could mix with product waste to be used for the business crops, or be sold to partner companies
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