Businesses across the world have embarked on a mission to reduce their carbon footprint. The United Kingdom is one of the first major economies to set a net-zero target by 2050. Achieving net-zero status has certainly gained momentum among companies in recent times. But why?
It all starts with climate change negatively impacting the planet through heat waves, floods, severe storms, melting of polar ice and rising sea levels. The contribution to greenhouse gas emissions has to be reduced in order to address the climate crisis.
TutorCruncher is actively working with Consequence which will help monitor our carbon footprint across all aspects of the business and create an action plan to guide us on our sustainability journey. As a global company that is committed to innovating the tutoring industry, we must not neglect the carbon footprint we leave and make sure the amount that we add is no more than the amount that we take.
“We are so thrilled we took the initiative to become net-zero, not only for ourselves but for the tutoring industry and global community as well. Being a global ed-tech brand and leaders in our industry, we want to play our part in reducing carbon emissions and offer our clients a certified sustainable option when making purchasing decisions. We look forward to achieving this status and giving the tutoring industry the head start it needs to become net-zero!” - Tom Hamilton Stubber, Managing Director at TutorCruncher.
What Does Net Zero Mean?
The term ‘net-zero’ refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. This means that some greenhouse gases are still released, but these are offset by removing an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Net-zero emissions are reached when we ensure that any ongoing emissions are balanced by removals. This is also popularly referred to as carbon neutrality.
The Concerning Data
A recent report by INSEAD came to the conclusion that although 75% of companies believe climate change is very important to their strategic success and 72% are confident their company will reach its climate change goals, only 16% of companies have set targets for carbon emissions and 43% of companies do not yet have any clear targets for reducing their emissions.
Considering that the global average temperatures are now 1℃ higher than in the pre-industrial era if recent trends continue and companies do not set their net-zero goals, this is set to worsen, with predictions of global temperatures increasing by as much as 3-5℃ by 2100.
Why Net Zero and Why Now?
We wanted to make a conscious effort to reduce our environmental impact that could have repercussions for the next generations. In this day and age, with so much rapid technological advancement, we have to be mindful of our environment and preserve it as much as possible. Luckily, this very technological advancement could be the key to reducing carbon emissions, but in order for this to happen, companies must join efforts and act as soon as possible.
Within education technology and tutoring industries, there need to be more discussions over how much carbon footprint our businesses generate and how that affects the planet. We took the first step in working towards achieving net-zero emissions, knowing our industry is not the most environmentally friendly, and we hope many more industry leaders will join us.
Our net-zero targets will fund offset UN projects that make a real difference to the world in fighting the climate crisis. Immediate action is needed in order for these projects to receive the support they need.
Fully complying with b-corp carbon emission requirements is another one of our goals, as they set a leading example with The B Corporation movement. Their mission is to demonstrate the collective power of businesses in creating an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative system for all people and the planet, where each and every one of us can do our part.
How Does This Impact Our Customers?
Many of our clients and software users, in general, are looking to make more and more conscious purchase decisions. In the tech industry, it is pretty hard to find a big push for carbon neutrality, as energy and resources are constantly being used. It will be reassuring for our customers to know TutorCruncher will achieve net-zero carbon emissions, as the software they use as an integral part of their business is actively seeking ways to help the planet and make a positive difference to the environment.
Working with Consequence
We wanted our actions to reflect our beliefs and which is why we decided to choose Consequence as our carbon accounting platform. They simplify and automate data collected from us and use an AI system to determine our carbon footprint based on our operations, products and services. The data collected is then tracked in real-time and captures changes occurring in the business. Finally, Consequence provides us with tailored recommendations and suggestions which help us identify ways to reduce our carbon footprint, allowing us to make positive changes.
Our Pledge
We aim to receive our certified net-zero status within the next month. To celebrate this occasion, we’ll dedicate the entire month of May to raising awareness about sustainability, becoming carbon neutral and the importance of acting now.
Digital technology is at the core of our industry, which makes it challenging to advance without a significant impact on the environment. However, the first step is to recognise that and do whatever we can to reverse it. This journey we embarked on won’t totally eliminate our carbon footprint, but it will be the first step in reducing our impact on the environment and on our planet.
