First Mover Advantage
There is the opportunity for a company to enhance the impact of their carbon offset work if they are the first within their market sector or locality to achieve "Carbon-Zero" status; this accolade will remain with them whilst their competitors play catch up.
Improved Tender Scoring
The environmental impact of a company and its processes is being increasingly considered when rewarding tenders. With low or zero carbon emissions a company is more likely to be successful in tender applications and win more contracts.
Market Differentiation
Many organisations operate in a sector where market competition is strong, and the product or service offered by a business needs to create a marketing proposition that differentiates them from their competitors. By marketing a product, service or business as Carbon Zero it creates a unique distinction that enables it to compete on real values and not simply price.
Increased Staff Morale
Developing a corporate sustainability program does more than just lower costs and reduce waste. You can actually improve employee productivity and spread an altruistic sentiment while shaving costs off your bottom line. In a competitive global marketplace, having a strong reputation for sustainability can be a key distinguishing factor -- especially among millennials, a group that’s growing quickly in buying power, influence and presence in the workforce.
Corporate Commitment
Successful organisations recognise a duty of care placed upon them to put a proportion of their profits to good use for benefit of the wider community. In recent years, CSR activities have been a key factor in winning public and wider business support for an organisation. This is seen in the recruitment of key staff, in particular younger graduate calibre candidates who value these things highly. An effective carbon management and offset policy that supports high impact, community focused offset projects provides a ready-made effective CSR program.
Future Proof Against Regulation
Some companies, mainly large corporations, are under an obligation to report or manage their environmental impact, such as the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme or via SECR and ESOS Reporting. There is a strong belief that such reporting and action is likely to become stronger, and trickle down to small and medium sized companies in the future. Taking action now helps to prepare and safeguard against any future legislation.