We know that meaningful progress starts with honesty. When we first started looking seriously at our environmental impact, one thing became clear: as a business, we leave a footprint. We knew we couldn’t just focus on numbers without also thinking about the bigger picture—our planet, our communities, and the legacy we leave behind.

Facing Up to the Facts

The first step in our sustainability journey to take a hard look at ourselves through by measuring our Carbon Footprint with the help of Seedling Carbon Accounting software, which showed us where our biggest emissions came from. It wasn’t always comfortable reading, but it gave us something invaluable: a clear starting point.

Making Changes That Matter

From there, we began asking: what can we do right now? We did that by creating a Carbon Reduction plan, alongside considering what was possible for us.

Some answers were surprisingly simple. We swapped unnecessary travel for video calls. We became stricter about switching off equipment and lights at the end of the day. We explored greener suppliers and discovered that 75% of our suppliers are within 20 miles of our office. None of these were huge shifts on their own, but together they began to add up.

As part of creating future reliance, we also strengthened our governance by aligning our policies and setting some measurable targets.

This process made us realise how much we already do across the community, but equally, how there is so much more work to do. Our future actions will involve supporting more young people, and better equipping our team, and associates, with skills and confidence.

We’re working on practical changes – many of which also save money. That’s why we encourage other businesses, big or small, to start with these quick wins:

· Go digital-first to cut down on paper waste.

· Keep an eye on energy use—small tweaks can shrink your bills.

· Source closer to home to reduce transport emissions.

We have launched a Sustainability Hub on the website with more tips like these and practical guides and blogs to empower others.

Balancing Today While Planning for Tomorrow

Of course, some emissions are unavoidable—for now. That’s why we’ve chosen to invest in verified carbon offsets, supporting projects that protect forests, restore ecosystems, and benefit communities. It’s our way of taking responsibility today, while we work on reducing even further tomorrow. We see offsetting as a complement to, not a replacement for, reduction.

With this balance, we’re proud to say that Cool Ventures is effectively carbon neutral.

Why We’re Sharing This

We’re committed to continuing this journey with transparency and accountability, which is why you can read our Impact Report HERE.

By sharing both our progress and our challenges, we hope to inspire others, to show that meaningful change is possible—and that it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Every small action adds up.

This is just the beginning of our story. We’ll keep learning, keep improving, and keep sharing, because we believe that together, we can build a future that’s not just successful, but sustainable.

We’re proud of the steps we’ve taken so far, but this is only the beginning. Together, small actions lead to big change.

The post From Impact to Action: Our Journey to Net Zero appeared first on Cool Ventures.

Living and working more sustainably is not about being perfect, it’s about all of us doing something. It’s amazing how quickly small acts add up if enough people do them.  

It can be disheartening when you see a small number of people and businesses causing the majority of environmental damage, but we can only control our own choices – not everyone will, but you can still choose to do the right thing (and also potentially save money!) 

Here are 5 areas you can control, where small changes can make a big difference: 

1. Energy Efficiency 

We can all do small things to save energy. Whether that’s turning things off at the wall when you’re not using them, or replacing your lightbulbs with low energy LEDs (then remembering to turn the light out when you leave the room!).

When you replace appliances or buy new equipment, do some research to find the most energy efficient, it’s easier to spot these with traffic light systems on labelling. They may cost a little more initially, but will cost less to run in the long term. 

• Carbon Trust – Free advice, funding, and tools to reduce carbon footprint. 
  🔗 www.carbontrust.com 

• Energy Saving Trust – Guidance on reducing energy costs and improving efficiency. 
  🔗 www.energysavingtrust.org.uk 

2. Waste Reduction & Recycling 

Over the past 50 years or so, we have lived in a world where things are increasingly viewed as disposable. We have created a throwaway society. Humans managed to live for thousands of years without creating as much waste as we do today. We all know we can do better. 

But the unrelenting march of capitalism, invention of cheap plastic, and successive governments all over the world implementing policies to increase GDP though the making and selling of yet more and more stuff has created a culture of convenience. 

We often have little other choice or are restricted by the high cost of alternatives. Rather than shouldering that guilt as individuals, we have the power as consumers, and also as the businesses of the future to do things differently. 

Wasting fewer resources, reusing, repairing and repurposing things can be an opportunity to create better products and services – saving money and the planet by giving people sustainable, waste free, choices.  

• WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) – Support for reducing waste and improving recycling. 
  🔗 www.wrap.org.uk 

3. Green Certifications & Funding 

Want to make it official? You can show the world that your core values as a business are sustainable by accrediting your business with a green certification. You know you’re making a difference, it can be a real boost to your business to have that recognised and rewarded by external verification. 

Not a money saver, but a provable way to demonstrate you mean better business;  which can be a lucrative opportunity to grow your business. 

• Green Small Business – Affordable sustainability certification for SMEs. 
  🔗 www.greensmallbusiness.com 

• Local Support for Sustainability – Funding and support to create a eco-friendly businesses. 
  🔗 https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/growth-hub/ 

• B Corp UK – Certification and resources for businesses committed to sustainability. 
  🔗 www.bcorporation.uk 

4. Sustainable Supply Chain 

As small, local businesses, you are probably already using more sustainable suppliers without even realising it. The best way to reduce your businesses impact on the environment is to use local suppliers. For many of us, we do this without really thinking about it by growing our business connections locally and working alongside other traders in our communities. And for food businesses that could mean choosing local, seasonal, fresh produce. For a florist it could be teaming up with a community farm or sustainable local flower farm.  

You can choose to keep the money circulating in your local community, benefiting other small businesses and your local area, or you can choose convenience and putting that money into the pockets of shareholders.  

Not only choosing how and where you spend your money, but also where you bank and invest can have an impact far greater than your individual reach. 

Choosing who you do (and don’t) spend your money with, is like choosing how you vote with your money. 

5. Eco-Friendly Packaging 

Packaging is how most of our waste is generated. As a small business you can choose to package your products and services more sustainably (i.e.: not in disposable plastic). But also, ask yourself if it needs packaging at all? The best way to reduce waste is not to create it in the first place. If it really does need to be packaged, is there a way you can make it reusable?  

Remember the waste hierarchy. Recycling is the last resort – humans already create more waste that can ever be recycled, recycling is not a solution – often it only adds to the existing problem of waste. 

When you buy in products and services to your business, also consider the packaging it comes in. Choose suppliers and products that have minimal, or better still no packaging, biodegradable or reusable alternatives.  

• The UK Plastics Pact (WRAP) – Guidelines for reducing plastic use and switching to sustainable packaging. 
  🔗 www.wrap.org.uk/plasticspact 

💡 Take Action: Start small—reduce energy use, source responsibly, and take your customers along on your sustainability journey. 

More Information:

To find out what support is available to you check out this page Funded Support – Cool Ventures

The post Save Money, Go Green: Quick Win Resources appeared first on Cool Ventures.

“Be the change you want to see in the world,” is a quote attributed to Ghandi, but as a purpose-driven startup, you get to do just that.

You’re making a positive impact on the planet and its people, while also growing your business.

What really makes your blood boil about how other businesses behave?

Injustice

Take those injustices, and that anger you feel about the damage big businesses are doing to people’s lives, and the very planet we depend on, then channel it into something positive.

The power of small business

Small businesses generate more GDP, tax contributions, innovation and growth to the economy than any other sector. Over 90% of businesses in the UK have less than 5 employees. Collectively, as small businesses, we have the power to set the agenda for how businesses ought to behave.

Sustainable at heart

When sustainability is at the heart of your core values and operations, it is not only responsible and ethical but also strategically advantageous. It positions you for long-term success in a changing business landscape where sustainable practices are becoming increasingly essential.

But more than being in a unique position to show others how things should be done, there are many other reasons to be more sustainable in the way you do business.

Three Forms of Sustainability

There are three ways to consider sustainability, sometimes called the ‘Triple Bottom Line‘.

1. People

Humans are not lightbulbs. So many employers burn people out and then discard them. Sooner or later they are going to struggle to attract and keep the right talent for their business. It’s hard to shake off a reputation for being a bad employer. That’s why certifications like, B-Corp exist. An appreciable and measurable way to show the world you look after the people your business depends on. And while employing people may never be a goal for your startup, or you set out just to employ yourself, treat yourself and those who engage with your business, how you would wish to be treated.

‘People’ also extends to the wider community. No business can operate in isolation. Your business doesn’t just serve its customers, it has a role to play in serving the wider business community, its local community and every other person who has contact with your business.

They all contribute to creating your reputation.

2. Planet

When we talk about sustainability, this aspect is usually what people think of. How to be more environmentally responsible and ethical as a business. This is where lots of small things add up to make a difference, but also the big decisions on the ethical standards your business upholds.

3. Prosperity

As a business, you need to make money in order to survive. But the focus is on ‘profit’ the motivation is greed.

Prosperity is the opposite of austerity.

Prosperity is about sharing abundance and ensuring economic security for everyone who depends on your business. This ties in to how you treat the people that deal with your business.

When your business is prospering, it is paying suppliers fairly and promptly. Investing in innovation and technology that will save you money in the long term. Minimising waste.

Many investors are now considering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when making investment decisions. Companies with strong sustainability practices are more likely to attract socially responsible investors and access capital more easily.

Not buying things

The most sustainable product is the one you don’t buy in the first place. Reusing, re-purposing and buying second-hand – these all save money, resources and wastage.

14 Reasons To Be A Sustainable Startup

1) Long-Term Viability

Building a sustainable startup means thinking long-term. You are ensuring access to resources, maintaining relationships with stakeholders, and fostering resilience in the face of environmental and social challenges. It’s easier to adapt to changing markets, regulations, and consumer preferences.

2) Risk Mitigation

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks can impact a startup’s reputation, operations, and bottom line. By integrating sustainable practices, startups can mitigate these risks and improve their resilience to external shocks.

3) Market Demand

Consumers and investors are increasingly favouring sustainable products and companies. By aligning with this demand, startups can attract a larger customer base and secure funding from socially responsible investors.

4) Cost Savings

Sustainable practices often lead to resource efficiency, waste reduction, and energy savings. Startups can benefit from lower operational costs, improved resource management, and increased profitability.

5) Regulatory Compliance

Many governments are implementing stricter environmental and social regulations. By proactively adopting sustainable practices, startups can ensure compliance with current and future regulations, avoiding legal issues and penalties.

6) Talent Attraction

People are drawn to companies that align with their values. A commitment to sustainability can help startups attract and retain top talent, fostering a positive work environment.

7) Innovation Opportunities

Embracing sustainability can drive innovation. The challenge of finding eco-friendly solutions often leads to creative problem-solving and the development of novel products or services.

8) Brand Reputation

A sustainable startup can build a strong brand reputation based on ethical practices, environmental responsibility, and social contributions. Positive brand perception can lead to customer loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing.

9) Access to Funding

Many investors are incorporating ESG criteria into their investment decisions. Startups that prioritise sustainability are more likely to attract funding from impact investors, venture capitalists, and other socially conscious sources.

10) Positive Impact

Startups have the opportunity to drive positive change in their industries and communities. By addressing environmental and social challenges, they can contribute to a more sustainable future.

11) Scalability

Sustainable practices are often scalable. As startups grow, they can continue to integrate these practices, ensuring that sustainability is embedded in their operations as they expand.

12) Competitive Advantage

Sustainability can set startups apart from their competitors. It can provide a unique selling proposition that appeals to conscious consumers who want to support ethical and eco-friendly businesses. Sustainability often requires creative problem-solving and innovation. Eco-friendly products, services, or business models appeal to increasingly environmentally conscious consumers and will keep you a step ahead of regulatory changes.

13) Supply Chain Resilience

Sustainable supply chain practices, such as diversifying suppliers, reducing the length of chains by buying locally, and reducing dependency on limited resources, can help you navigate disruptions and maintain consistent operations. When big retailers have struggled to fill their shelves, smaller businesses have stepped in with shorter, agile and adaptable supply chains. For example, when the supermarkets ran out of eggs, there were always plentiful supplies in the local farm shop!

14) Enhanced Transparency

Adopting sustainability practices often requires transparency in reporting environmental and social metrics. This builds trust among stakeholders and encourages more open and inclusive communication.

Embracing sustainable practices from the start, improves your financial position, brand reputation, customer loyalty, and resilience into the future.

Plus, it’s just the right thing to do.

More Information:

To find out what support is available to you check out this page Funded Support – Cool Ventures

If you aren’t based in Bath and North East Somerset or South Gloucestershire you will have access to support elsewhere. Check you council provider here Find your local council – GOV.UK

The post Why Sustainability Should Define Your Startup appeared first on Cool Ventures.

When you want to change anything in your business, it will only happen with a plan. But to have a plan, you need a starting point.

How will you know if you have reached your destination if you don’t know where you’ve started from?

Any goal we set for ourselves in our business needs to be measurable otherwise, how will we know when we’ve achieved it?

This holds true when it comes to reducing the impact our business has on the environment. To create a more sustainable business, we need to know what impact we are currently having, only then can we decide what changes to prioritise.

Whatever your views on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, humans emit billions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere every year, which is huge in terms of pollution and impacts upon ecosystems and biodiversity.

This is where a Carbon Calculator can be a helpful tool to measure our current impact and decide which small changes will have the greatest effect.

Measuring your Carbon Footprint gives you a baseline from which to develop your plans to reduce your impact as a household and a business.

What is ‘Carbon’? 

When using a carbon calculator to measure emissions, “carbon” typically refers to carbon dioxide (CO₂) and sometimes includes other greenhouse gases (GHGs) that are measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). 

By measuring emissions in terms of “carbon,” carbon calculators provide a measurable way to consider our impact on the planet as businesses and individuals. 

What is a Carbon Footprint?

Your carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO₂), emitted directly or indirectly by human activities. It is measured in units of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e), which standardizes different greenhouse gases based on their global warming potential.

Everything we buy, do, and eat has an impact on the world’s resources and Carbon Footprints are a way to quantify this impact in a measurable way. Although it has its limitations, it gives us data we can measure.

Reducing your carbon footprint reduces your environmental impact on the planet, and using fewer resources can contribute to cost savings for your business.

What is a Carbon Calculator? 

A carbon calculator is a tool used to estimate an individual’s, household’s, or organisation’s carbon footprint, which is the total amount of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO₂), emitted directly or indirectly by activities over a certain period. These calculators help users understand their impact on the environment and identify ways to reduce their carbon emissions. 

Key Features of Carbon Calculators 

1. Input Categories: Users typically provide information in several categories: 

• Energy Use: Electricity, natural gas, and heating oil consumption. 
• Transportation: Vehicle type, fuel efficiency, miles driven, and use of public transportation. 
• Waste: Amount of waste produced and recycling habits. 
• Food: Dietary choices, as different foods have varying carbon footprints. 
• Lifestyle and Consumption: Purchase habits, travel frequency, and other personal activities. 

2. Calculation Methodology: The calculator uses standard emission factors to convert activity data into carbon emissions. Emission factors are averages that represent the emissions produced per unit of activity (e.g., kilograms of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour of electricity). 
3. Output: The result is typically presented in metric tons or kilograms of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) per year. Some calculators provide detailed breakdowns by category to show which activities contribute most to the user’s carbon footprint. 
4. Recommendations: Many carbon calculators offer suggestions for reducing emissions, such as using energy-efficient appliances, reducing car travel, or adopting a plant-based diet. 

Putting Carbon Calculators to the test

A carbon calculator could be an app, a website, or a specially designed tool within an organisation.

To keep it simple, we’ve trawled through websites – so you don’t have to – and picked out 6 examples of Carbon Calculators, then put them to the test.

Here are the results:

Conclusion

Living a more sustainable life and growing greener businesses is more than just knowing how many tonnes of carbon you produce. For many, the notion of a Carbon Footprint can be an abstract construct that is hard to get your head around.  Although a useful metric to monitor your progress and choose changes that have the biggest impact, these tools come into their own once you have established your baseline and use the resources, guides, and tools associated with them. This is where you start to see the real impact of small changes – like wasting less food and energy, therefore saving money – or discovering new ways of working or opportunities you may not have identified otherwise.

Once you’ve measured your carbon footprint you can make a plan to reduce your impact.

There are a growing number of resources to help you reduce your carbon footprint. Here are a few further reading recommendations:

 More Links and Further Reading

• To find out more about your Carbon Footprint and why as a business you may want to measure it, you can download The Carbon Trust’s handy guide, here: A guide to carbon footprinting for businesses | The Carbon Trust

• This article contains links and another perspective on testing Carbon Calculators: Free carbon footprint calculators for businesses – UK Business Climate Hub

• Interesting article in National Geographic (although it is US-centric): What is a carbon footprint—and how to measure yours (nationalgeographic.com)

• Book: How Bad are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything, by Mike Berners-Lee. Here is an insightful review and explanation of the book: Uncovering the Carbon Footprint of Everything – Our World (unu.edu)

• USwitch Carbon Footprint FAQs: Calculate your carbon footprint (uswitch.com)

What ONE thing can you do today to make a change? 

The post What is a Carbon Calculator? appeared first on Cool Ventures.

There you are, sipping vegan milk from a soggy straw while the richest 1% are flying around the world in their private jets and oil companies are extracting an average of 100 million barrels of oil from the planet every day.

It’s hard to connect our everyday lives with the destruction of Rainforests – at an estimated rate of 80,000 acres a day.

The enormity of it is overwhelming.

What difference can one person possibly make?

There is only so much we can do and that we can control as individuals. But if we all did something, no matter how small and imperfectly, it’s surprising how quickly small changes add up to big shifts.

“It’s only one disposable coffee cup”, said 7 million* people.

* (In the UK It is estimated that about 7 million disposable coffee cups are used daily).

Carbon Footprint

According to Mike Berners-Lee, a professor at Lancaster University, the Carbon Footprint of something is, “the sum total of all the greenhouse gas emissions that had to take place in order for a product to be produced or for an activity to take place.”

Our personal Carbon Footprint is the combined total of resources we consume as products or from our activities in a given time period, usually expressed as tonnes of carbon per year.

For consumers in the UK, these products and activities tend to be household energy use, transport, food, and the products and services we buy.

To start to understand and measure our personal impact we can use Carbon Calculators to estimate our personal Carbon Footprint. When you are your business, this can also mean the impact your business has.

Read our Carbon Calculator comparison blog <here> (link)

However, we all have a different impact, depending on our lifestyle and choices.

For example, a meat eater may not necessarily have a larger footprint than their vegan neighbour. If the meat eater works at home, shops locally and rarely travels but the vegan takes several international flights a year and eats a lot of ultra-processed foods, the vegan will have a larger carbon footprint.

Reducing our personal carbon footprints is also not always easy. For example, someone may not have access to public transport, or can’t afford to their car with an electric vehicle, or as a tenant, they have no control over the energy efficiency of their home.

The very richest in the world will have a far greater impact if they reduce their carbon footprint, as having more money usually leads to the consumption of more resources.

Acting by ourselves is inherently limiting and is just one small part of what is required to affect change in a system that, despite the best individual efforts, remains dominated by the production and use of fossil fuels.

We have greater power to affect change as a community. Our Climate Shadow can have a greater impact than individual actions alone.

Climate Shadow

What is your Climate Shadow? It’s not just your footprint, it’s the whole shadow behind those footsteps. Your Climate Shadow aims to paint a fuller picture of the sum of personal choices. It goes further than the products you buy and the food you eat. It also encompasses things like how you vote, how many children or pets you have, where you work, how you invest your money, and how ethical the businesses you work with are – but also how much you talk about climate change, and the resonance of your message.

Are you influencing others to make changes, too?

Are you sharing your progress as a business and influencing others to make small changes, too?

Conclusion

While reducing your Carbon Footprint is important – and measuring it so that you can change it – are all positive actions you can take as an individual and business. What more can you do?

Do something, anything, but then talk about it.

As a business are you talking the talk or walking the walk?

Further Reading

For more on the impact of your Climate Shadow, this is a great article in National Geographic. Forget your carbon footprint—your climate shadow is what really matters (nationalgeographic.com)

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