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How To Launch A Sustainable Business

Businesses have a big role to play in helping to tackle the climate crisis. In the UK, the commercial sector was responsible for <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7ab0bfb0-b37c-463d-b132-0944b6fe8e8b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">18% of CO2 emissions in 2018</a> and in the US, industry accounted for <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7ab0bfb0-b37c-463d-b132-0944b6fe8e8b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than a fifth</a> of greenhouse gas emissions. Businesses need to play their part to make emissions reductions in order for us to collectively meet the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement. 
You might think that as a small business that is just starting out, your actions will have very little impact. However, according to the World bank, small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) make up about<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/smefinance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 90% of businesses</a> and account for <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/smefinance">50% of employment</a> worldwide. If every new business that was launched did everything they could to help the planet as they started out, think of the difference it would make. 
Being sustainable also just makes good business sense. There is now a huge market for environmentally-friendly products or platforms. <a href="https://www.porternovelli.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20_2015-Cone-Communications-Ebiquity-Global-CSR-Study.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">93% of global citizens</a> have a positive image of companies that support environmental and social causes, with <a href="https://www.porternovelli.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20_2015-Cone-Communications-Ebiquity-Global-CSR-Study.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">80% </a>saying they would be willing to buy a product from an unknown brand with stronger environmental commitments.  This means that if you make the effort to launch your business in a way that is beneficial to the environment, and get your messaging right about it, then you will have access to a whole network of environmentally conscious customers right from the start. 
Starting out sustainably is also easier in the long run. If you are just beginning your business journey, you are in a unique position. You can make your organisation sustainable right from the start! Not only will this make a bigger impact on the planet, but it will also make your lives a lot easier. It&#8217;s a lot more simple to start out right, then to have to change everything later. 
Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start, especially when you are a small team with limited resources. So, our team has put together a guide with our top tips on launching a sustainable business:
1. Make your product sustainable 
Regardless of what your business product is, think about how the product itself can help the environment. Start off by designing your product with sustainability in mind. If you make clothes, make them out of sustainable materials (organic cotton or hemp, recycled plastic bottles etc.); if you make food, use organic and local ingredients; if you are an event planning company, make your unique selling point that you only plan sustainable events. If you start off with sustainability designed into your product, you are starting off well. To go even further, you could make your product <a href="http://www.ecologi.com/business/how-to-make-your-business-carbon-neutral">carbon neutral</a> right from the start, or <a href="http://www.ecologi.com/business/how-to-plant-trees-with-your-business-products">plant trees</a> for every product you sell. 
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2. 100% renewable energy 
This might be a pretty obvious tip, but that&#8217;s because it&#8217;s important! Make sure wherever possible, when you are using energy, it comes from renewable sources. Whether you are working from home or acquiring office or factory space, power it with renewable energy. This is easier to do when moving into a new space, then it is later when your operations are up and running. Some great options for renewable energy providers include <a href="https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ecotricity</a> and <a href="https://www.ovoenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ovo energy</a>. 
3. Green web hosting 
Whatever business you are launching, it&#8217;s fairly safe to assume that you will have a website. This means that one easy step you can take is to host this website on a server that operates using 100% renewable energy. An example is <a href="https://krystal.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Krystal hosting.</a> These guys use green energy for their power, all their operations, and for their data centre. This means that your website will be powered entirely by the sun, wind and sea. 
Once your business is established, and your website is in constant use, it is a long process of migration to a new web hosting provider. It&#8217;s best to pick a good one right from the start! 
If you are yet to create a website, you can use <a href="https://www.create.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">create.net</a> to design and build a website that is powered by renewable energy. 
4. Be picky about your suppliers 
This is the big one. And the tricky one. Supply chains hold the biggest opportunities for breakthroughs in sustainability. The typical consumer company’s supply chain creates a far greater environmental cost than its own operations and can account for up to <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/starting-at-the-source-sustainability-in-supply-chains#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">80% of the greenhouse gas emissions</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/starting-at-the-source-sustainability-in-supply-chains#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">90% of the impact</a> on air, water, biodiversity and geological resources. 
Again just starting out puts your company in a unique position to get this right the first time round. Most established supply chains are not set up to meet sustainable and ethical principles, but yours can be. It’s easier to pick sustainable suppliers from the start, than to switch suppliers later on, or to work with difficult suppliers to change their polluting ways.
The key is to think of every stage in your supply chain: where the raw materials are coming from; what factory the products are made in; and how your waste is disposed of at the end. It helps to know what you are looking for. A good tip is to write an ethical sourcing guide and write down all the things that are important to you. For example that all supplies need to be organic, or recyclable; all workers need to be paid a living wage; or where possible all operations need to be powered with renewable energy. You can consult this when searching for suppliers, and check whether they meet your criteria. 
This process can take a long time, but it&#8217;s worthwhile implementing from the start, and don’t worry if you don&#8217;t get it perfect. A couple of good ideas to get you started on your search include: <a href="https://reboxed.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reboxed </a>to buy refurbished tech equipment; <a href="https://globechain.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Globechain</a> to find second-hand items of all kinds; and <a href="https://thefirstmile.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Firstmile</a> to sustainably dispose of your waste. 
5. Sustainable Search Engines 
One easy way to increase your business&#8217;s climate impact immediately is to install a sustainable search engine on all of your company devices. This means that with every google search you will be planting trees and funding charities that are doing great things. <a href="https://www.ecosia.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecosia</a> is the most famous charitable search engine, and they donate about 80% of the profits that they make from advertising to planting trees. So far they have planted over 120 million trees! Another great option is <a href="https://www.searchscene.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SearchScene</a>, which donates 95% of their profits to charities, with a focus on supporting those that help fight climate change, and those that alleviate the suffering caused by it.
6. Greening your finances
One of the first steps to setting up your business is to set up your bank account. This is another opportunity to incorporate sustainability by using ethical, environmentally friendly banks that invest in good things. 
There is an increasing awareness that banks are ‘carbon majors’ alongside the fossil fuel producers themselves. Banks globally have provided<a href="https://www.ran.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Banking_on_Climate_Change__2020_vF.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> $2.7 trillion in financing</a> for fossil fuels since the 2015 Paris Agreement, and banking for fossil fuels rose <a href="https://www.ran.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Banking_on_Climate_Change__2020_vF.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$736 billion in 2019</a> alone. Banks fund environmental degradation by funding fossil fuels,  deforestation,  and extractive mining industries, with most major banks being implicated. Instead of helping to finance environmental degradation, set up your accounts with banks that will invest your money in projects that do good. 
An example is <a href="https://www.triodos.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Triodos bank</a>, which focuses its activities across three overarching themes: environmental, cultural, and social. These cover a broad range of sectors &#8211; from renewable energy, organic farming, and social housing through to arts and culture, charities, and education. One of their key values is transparency and they publish details of every organisation they finance on their website, so you can see for yourself how your money is delivering positive change.

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7. Pensions with intentions
Employers have to provide a workplace pension scheme for eligible staff as soon as your first member of staff starts working for you. This is another area where you can, yes we say it again, do it right from the start by making sure your pensions align with your values and support the things that your organisation works for and believes in. 
There is £3 trillion in the UK pensions pot alone. This is money that could be used to do something good like investing in renewable energy, green infrastructure, or companies with extremely high environmental standards; or it could be invested in fossil fuels, tobacco or the worst-polluting companies. 
When setting up your employees pensions schemes, make sure that you know where the money is going, and that it is going somewhere good. <a href="https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Make My Money Matter </a>has some great resources to help you with this, including examples of pensions funds that are doing good things for the planet, such as the Church of England Pension Fund, the Environment Agency Pensions Fund, and NEST. 
Don’t undermine all the good work your business has been doing by investing in something damaging to the environment without even realising it!

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<h3>Make sustainability part of your business mission statement </h3>
When you are launching a new business, it&#8217;s important to think about why you are doing it, and what values and ethics you stand for. One of the most important things you can do is to found your business on sustainable values, and for every big decision you make, or wherever your journey goes, take the impacts on the environment into account. Learn more about our <a href="https://ecologi.com/business">carbon offset programs for business </a>and for more great tips check out our guide on <a href="https://ecologi.com/business/how-to-reduce-your-business-carbon-emissions">how to reduce your business carbon emissions</a>.

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Hopescrolling: The good news timeline

It’s not all bad. While there’s a lot of negative news about the climate, let’s not forget the good stuff. Find climate wins, reasons to be hopeful and plenty of positivity in our good news timeline.

The good news timeline

Ready to make a difference for our planet? Get in touch, and let’s chat about how we can help you on your climate journey. 

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Ecologi acquires Net Zero Now

In a landmark move set to reshape corporate climate action, we’re excited to announce that Ecologi, the UK&#8217;s most trusted climate action platform, has acquired <a href="https://netzeronow.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Net Zero Now</a>, the sector-specific carbon measurement and reduction platform for businesses.
The combined entity operating under the Ecologi brand will create a single solution for industry climate leadership towards net zero. The integration combines sector-specific carbon measurement and reduction with world class verified climate projects that supports businesses wherever they are on their net zero journey.

<h2>The game-changing impact of this acquisition</h2>
The strategic acquisition solves two fundamental challenges in corporate climate action: businesses have been forced to choose between fragmented solutions and generic ‘one size fits all’ approaches that ignore crucial sector-specific needs. By combining Net Zero Now&#8217;s sector-specific protocol expertise with Ecologi&#8217;s platform funding top-tier climate projects, we&#8217;re creating a tailored and complete solution helping businesses lead their industries towards net zero.

Reduce emissions.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Measure Scope 1, 2 &amp; 3 emissions with sector-specific industry GHG protocols</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Set short term and long term reduction target emissions aligned to SBTi</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tailored reduction plans for sector-specific emissions pathways</li>
</ul>
Restore our planet.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Compensate for unavoidable emissions as you reduce them through 
funding verified, high-quality carbon avoidance and removal credits</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Contribute to global climate goals by funding climate Impact Funds for 
beyond value chain mitigation and/or as part of your products &amp; services</li>
</ul>
Report on progress.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Corporate sustainability standards e.g. CSRD, SECR, SBTi, CDP, B Corp</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sector specific standards e.g. Accountancy, Hospitality, Public Sector</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Custom climate impact reports and embeddable dashboards</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Communications toolkit for board and stakeholder engagement</li>
</ul>

Climate leadership starts here

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Neil Ross Russell, Managing Director of Net Zero Now, said:
<blockquote>Businesses want to take climate action, but they want to know they’re doing it right and what’s right for a restaurant business is not the same as what’s right for an accounting firm.  They need industry-specific guidance and clear pathways to climate leadership. By joining forces with Ecologi, we&#8217;re creating a platform that allows us to provide credible, simple and affordable, sector-specific, end-to-end climate solutions for businesses in our existing sectors and collaborate with industry partners on new sector-led solutions.</blockquote>

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The acquisition aligns with Ecologi&#8217;s mission to accelerate business climate action and grow our 24,000 strong customer base. Established sector protocols including hospitality and professional services will be the initial focus with plans to expand across additional industries throughout 2025.
With organisations under increasingly complex stakeholder and industry compliance demands for environmental accountability, this end-to-end solution also ensures streamlined reporting, monitoring progress, supply chain transparency, and voluntary disclosures. This transforms business leaders into climate leaders with the confidence to tackle their climate commitments head-on, communicating and meeting critical regulatory requirements like SECR, CSRD and SBTi.

<h2>More about Net Zero Now</h2>
Founded in 2021, Net Zero Now has developed a proprietary sector-led approach, which combines climate expertise alongside the sector knowledge and experience of relevant industry bodies, industry influencers and larger businesses to reach a consensus around what Net Zero means in practice for businesses in each sector. To date, the company has measured and validated 1.8 MtCO2e lifetime emissions supporting more than 50+ leading brands including Coca Cola Europacific Partners, L&#8217;Orèal, Heineken, Pernod Ricard, Subway, Hard Rock Cafe, Adnams, Edgbaston and James Cowper Kreston.

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4 hospitality companies leading the way on climate action

Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have in the hospitality industry — it&#8217;s a business necessity. With increasing regulatory pressure, shifting customer expectations, and the growing impact of climate change, hospitality businesses are finding that taking action isn&#8217;t just about responsibility—it&#8217;s about resilience. This is particularly evident as 70% of Brits are now actively trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle (Nutritics, 2024), and 44% say sustainability is important in their choice of venue to visit (Morning Advertiser, 2023). From tackling food waste to cutting carbon emissions, the sector is facing both challenges and opportunities to drive meaningful change.
At the heart of this transformation is the food system. The hospitality industry relies on farming—a sector responsible for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions and one that is increasingly vulnerable to climate disruption. Rising temperatures, unpredictable weather, and supply chain instability are already affecting food availability and costs, making sustainability not just an ethical priority but a commercial imperative. This is reflected in consumer behavior, with 47% of consumers wanting more information about carbon footprints on menus, and 41% saying this information would influence their order (CGA Strategy, 2023).
Fortunately, forward-thinking hospitality businesses are stepping up, driven by clear market demand—34% of UK pub and restaurant goers are prepared to spend more in venues with strong sustainability credentials, increasing to 47% for Gen Z and Millennials (Sustainability Beat, 2023). This generational shift is significant, with consumers aged 18-34 being nearly twice as likely to pay more for sustainability than those aged 55+ (WaterAid, 2023).
As the food and beverage industry awakens to its environmental responsibilities, and with climate change threatening to fundamentally disrupt global food security, restaurants and food service enterprises are stepping up to take meaningful climate action. These pioneering businesses are demonstrating how sustainability can enhance business performance while making a positive environmental impact, even as they navigate the unique challenges of being both a contributor to and victim of climate change.
Read about four hospitality companies that are championing climate action, and explore how they are turning environmental challenges into business opportunities.
Whether it&#8217;s engaging employees, measuring carbon footprints, or developing new sustainable service offerings, these venues are setting the standard for a greener future in hospitality.
<ol>
<li>Hawksmoor: Leading Sustainability in Fine Dining</li>
<li>Freemans Event Partners: Pioneering Sustainable Event Catering</li>
<li>Lisini Pub Co: Family Legacy Meets Sustainable Innovation</li>
<li>The Assemblies: Pioneering Sustainable Hospitality in Bristol</li>
</ol>

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<h2>Hawksmoor: leading sustainability in fine dining</h2>
Key Improvements:
<ul>
<li> Achieved B Corp certification in September 2022</li>
<li>Comprehensive review of operational sustainability across all locations</li>
<li>Implementation of energy reduction initiatives</li>
<li>Enhanced waste management systems</li>
<li>Water conservation measures</li>
<li>Integration of sustainability into staff training programs</li>
</ul>
Hawksmoor&#8217;s journey exemplifies how restaurant groups can lead in sustainability within the hospitality sector. Their comprehensive approach includes setting ambitious net-zero targets for 2030 while focusing on immediate operational improvements. The restaurant group&#8217;s commitment is evidenced by their systematic review of day-to-day operations across their locations in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and New York. What sets them apart is their holistic approach to sustainability: examining energy usage, waste management, and water consumption while maintaining their reputation for quality dining. Their structured approach to employee engagement includes a two-day intensive induction program that emphasises sustainability, making it a core part of their culture.
Ellie Besley-Gould, Head of Purpose at Hawksmoor, said:
<blockquote>We&#8217;ve been heavily involved with the Sustainable Restaurant Association since about 12 years ago&#8230; It&#8217;s a really important area for us to be stepping up the work in, looking at how we can inspire change.</blockquote>

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<h2>Freemans Event Partners: pioneering sustainable event catering</h2>
Key Improvements:
<ul>
<li>Achieved 38.4% reduction in emissions compared to projections</li>
<li>Implemented innovative &#8220;Zero Zone&#8221; testing area</li>
<li>Introduced shuttle buggies for reduced transport emissions</li>
<li>Deployed hybrid power generators</li>
<li>Established carbon menu labelling</li>
<li>Enhanced waste management through compostable solutions</li>
</ul>
Freemans Event Partners&#8217; journey demonstrates how large-scale event catering can embrace sustainability without compromising service quality. Their innovative approach at the British Grand Prix showcases their commitment to reducing environmental impact in high-pressure environments. The company&#8217;s dedication is evidenced by exceeding their initial 5% emissions reduction target and implementing a groundbreaking &#8220;Zero Zone&#8221; area for testing new sustainability initiatives. What sets them apart is their data-driven approach to sustainability: measuring and analysing emissions across all aspects of their operation, from food stalls to logistics and waste management.
Richard West, Sustainability Manager at Freemans Event Partners, said:
<blockquote>Through partnering we&#8217;ve realised that collaboration is key to making lasting and impactful environmental changes in the events catering industry. The process has been much more straightforward than we thought it would be and we look forward to setting even bigger reductions targets as we go forward.</blockquote>

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<h2>Lisini Pub Co: family legacy meets sustainable innovation</h2>
Key Improvements:
<ul>
<li>Reduced scope 1 and 2 emissions by 48% through renewable electricity</li>
<li>Won the Flor de Cana Rum Sustainability Award</li>
<li>Achieved lowest electricity demand in 10 years</li>
<li>Implemented LED lighting and sensor systems</li>
<li>Launched biodiversity project at Dalziel Park</li>
<li>Developed sustainable kitchen practices and menu innovation</li>
<li>Created venue-specific green teams</li>
</ul>
Lisini Pub Co&#8217;s journey demonstrates how family-owned hospitality businesses can transform their environmental impact while preserving their heritage. Their comprehensive approach combines traditional Scottish hospitality with modern sustainability practices across their venues, including the historic Angels hotel in Uddingston. What sets them apart is their innovative approach to sustainability: implementing competitive green teams across venues, achieving dramatic emissions reductions, and maintaining their commitment to quality service. Their structured approach includes both operational improvements and employee engagement, making sustainability a core part of their 45-year family legacy.
Siobhan Edwards, Director Lisini Pub Group, said:
<blockquote>It&#8217;s not until we&#8217;ve been working in the last year that we&#8217;ve really truly understood our carbon footprint. It&#8217;s the right thing to do, it&#8217;s the right thing for our customers, for our planet, for the environment, and actually it saves us money at the same time.</blockquote>

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<h2>The Assemblies: Pioneering Sustainable Hospitality in Bristol</h2>
Key Improvements:
<ul>
<li>Established 100-mile radius local sourcing policy</li>
<li>Implemented full venue LED lighting systems</li>
<li>Introduced reusable cups for music events</li>
<li>Developed nose-to-tail food waste reduction policy</li>
<li>Created vegetarian menu options to reduce emissions</li>
<li>Enhanced supplier partnerships for sustainability</li>
<li>Achieved an impressive 3-star rating in the Food Made Good Standard, scoring 92% overall and 91% specifically in environmental practices</li>
</ul>
The Assemblies&#8217; journey showcases how urban hospitality venues can lead in sustainability while building strong community connections. Since their inception in 2009, they&#8217;ve demonstrated that local sourcing and environmental responsibility can coexist with business success. What sets them apart is their data-driven approach to sustainability: analysing carbon ratings, implementing local sourcing policies, and creating innovative menu solutions. Their comprehensive strategy includes everything from sound system upgrades to waste reduction initiatives, making sustainability integral to their operation.
Anna Blightman, Brand Marketing Manager, said:
<blockquote>Something that our partnership has allowed us to do, is lay all the data out on the table so that we can actually look at it, and stand to analyse it and understand where we can make changes. If we don&#8217;t start now, when will we start?</blockquote>

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As these leading hospitality companies show, meaningful climate action can drive significant business benefits—from stronger customer and employee engagement to enhanced brand reputation and risk mitigation. By taking a thoughtful, transparent, and impactful approach, businesses can pave the way for a sustainable future.
Ready to take the lead in climate action? Book in a 30 minute discovery call with our Hospitality sector experts and find out more about partnering with Ecologi to measure your emissions, set reduction goals and fund high-quality climate action on the road to net-zero.

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