Your Choice is Your Voice Let’s Protect Our Planet Together
Kiran Bhagotra
CEO/Founder, ProtectBox
Sep 30th, 2021
ProtectBox values sustainability and being environmentally friendly, to its core. That’s why we’re hugely proud to be selected for the #TogetherForOurPlanet #OneStepGreener Business Climate Leaders campaign, The Climate Pledge (and the Race to Zero via the TCP), Tech Zero and ‘walk the talk’ (or ‘walk the walk’ as UK PM Boris Johnson would say) with our own NetZero score and offset feature on everything you buy through us. Making climate science accessible, whether you’re technical or not!
Becoming “net zero” means removing as many carbon dioxide emissions as you produce. We all have a responsibility to minimise our emissions… to protect our planet. This involves individuals and organisations alike.
You too can make a real difference with a pledge. Do not be put off by what feel like a gazillion, complicated and time-consuming actions to take to reduce your impact on the environment and become net zero – take a look below at how we are doing it and how easy it has been.
You’ve heard us say (for cybersecurity) “if we can do it, so can you!” we say the same for net zero. Our NetZero score/offset even though built for security, is already being adapted for agriculture, health & more with our partners. Can we do the same for your sector?
To mark our attendance at COP26, we are offering you 1 month free with us. Click here to pick the best plan for your home and work’s security, and use coupon COP26 at checkout.
Net Zero: What it means Why it matters
Becoming “net zero” means removing as many carbon dioxide emissions as you produce. We all have a responsibility to minimise our emissions… to protect our planet. This involves individuals and organisations alike.
For nearly three decades the UN has been bringing together almost every country on earth for global climate summits. With the UK as President, this year will be the 26th annual summit in Glasgow, Scotland between 31 October and 12 November 2021. At the last COP21 in Paris in 2015 the Paris Agreement was agreed by every country to work together to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees. But this did not come close to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, and the window for achieving this is closing. The decade out to 2030 will be crucial. Hence the unique urgency of COP26.
The UK became the world’s first major economy to set a target of being net zero by 2050. This large-scale transition is unprecedented; however the foundations are in place and progress is being made. The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 were 51% below 1990 levels. This means the UK is now halfway to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050 (Carbon Brief, March 2021).
In anticipation of the UN’s COP26 summit, we’re excited to have introduced ProtectBox’s NetZero score for each of our suppliers, so you know how environmentally responsible the organisation is. Saving 1% of UK GDP (halving 4% of emissions) but these use cases are not exhaustive, as we iterate our NetZero/AI marketplace into health, agriculture & more saving 10% of global GDP (/15% of emissions) – cf aviation sector’s 12% emission reduction.
To mark our attendance at COP26, we are offering you 1 month free with us. Click here to pick the best plan for your home and work’s security, and use coupon COP26 at checkout. This is one action you can take to reduce your impact on the environment.
There are many actions that you can consider becoming net zero – take a look at some ideas below… it’s easier than you may think! Your pledge to be more environmentally friendly can make a real difference, helping to protect our planet.
6 Top Tips on Becoming Net Zero
1. Use your Purchase Power
Repair, reuse and recycle before you buy.
When you buy – personally and for your business – buy from ethical organisations that proactively reduce packaging or support offset initiatives. For example, ProtectBox has developed a NetZero score for each of the Cybersecurity suppliers on our website. This shows how environmentally responsible the provider is, in experts’ opinions. You can enjoy peace of mind, knowing that your chosen supplier has the ‘green’ credentials that you’re happy with.
2. Review your Energy
Save money as well as emissions by:
- Switching off when not in use from lights to computers and coffee machines
- Getting a Smart meter Replace your old meter for free
- Switching to Renewable Most 100% renewable plans now cost same/less than non-renewables
- Using LED bulbs or other low energy lights
- Using programmable thermostats
- Buying energy-efficient equipment
- Insulating your home, office 9% of UK emissions every year come from non-domestic buildings
3. Carbon-Friendly Commuting & Communications
Replacing driving with cycling – or walking – has health as well as environmental advantages. How about a ‘cycle to work’ scheme?
If it is truly unrealistic to cut out car journeys:
- How about a car sharing scheme?
- Do you have charge points for employees to use?
- Does your company own a fleet of vehicles that could be switched to electric? ‘Green’ electric vehicles reduce carbon pollution, improve local air quality and are becoming increasingly accessible &/or affordable
Perhaps your team could fly less, use video conferences instead.
There are financial incentives to enjoy too, such as lower road tax and congestion charge expenses.
4. Offset Unavoidable Emissions
Some emissions are easier than others to reduce. If savings in some operational areas can’t be achieved in the short term, these emissions can be offset elsewhere. This would involve working with another organisation to reduce carbon via tree planting or renewable energy initiatives, for example.
For example, you’ll see that the products on our website have clear environmental ratings, shown as ProtectBox’s NetZero score/offset. This helps businesses and consumers see the carbon impact and potential offset involved with the products they’re choosing via our website. We can help with choosing and implementing your offset option.
5. Corporate Commitment
Actions speak louder than words. Show commitment from the very top of your organisation, with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as measurable targets for becoming a net zero business. Ensure that this commitment is accountable and that stakeholders, suppliers and customers and engaged with your goals.
Here’s a selection of some KPIs we found helpful in our journey:
- UN SDG #BeTheChange’s “The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World”
- UK’s UN (NetZero) High Level Champion & Oxford Net Zero’s toolkit
- UK government’s toolkit for small businesses
- Feed from Nigel Topping who is the UK’s UN High Level Champion
- The Dasgupta Review – Independent Review on the Economics of Biodiversity Interim Report
6. You are not doing this alone
There are so many (often free) resources out there to help in building your Net Zero KPIs. Stay updated by following #TogetherForOurPlanet #OneStepGreener & us at linktr.ee/protectbox
We are proud to partner with organisations from many varied sectors offering environmentally responsible options. These include cybersecurity and other sectors such as agriculture and health. Our work with our partners has inspired us to review and improve our business operations, ensuring they are as environmentally friendly as possible. Our team members have made changes in their personal lives too.
We can match governments’ climate science agendas to buyer choices, influencing preferences. Or help suppliers identify their sustainability improvement needs and instantly online connect them to carbon assessors/offsetters to do that.
Other ways that we’ve worked out with our partners, are shown below. But these use cases are not exhaustive, especially as we iterate our NetZero-driven AI marketplace into agriculture, health and more… saving 10% of global GDP (/15% of emissions) – cf aviation sector’s 12% emission reduction. But if you have more get in touch and let’s protect our planet together!
