Carbon emissions, greenhouse gases

Manage greenhouse gases and reduce your carbon footprint

Reduce your impact on the environment by reducing your carbon emissions. This guideline looks at how to reduce your carbon footprint

What you must do

Check if ESOS applies to you

Find out about ESOS

Trade your emissions

Some businesses are required to reduce carbon dioxide emissions under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) or the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). You may need a greenhouse gas permit and to report on your carbon dioxide emissions.

See our guidance on the emissions trading in:

EU and UK Emissions trading Scheme

Good practice

Reduce your climate change levy

The climate change levy is a tax on using non-renewable energy. If the climate change levy applies to your business you will already be paying it as part of your energy bills. You can reduce the amount that you pay by reducing the amount of non-renewable energy that you use.

For more detailed guidance, and to find out if you qualify for an exemption or discount, see our guidance on the climate change levy in:

Cutting your carbon emissions

Improve your energy efficiency

You can save money and help the environment by taking steps to reduce your energy use.

See our guidance on energy use and efficiency.

Use renewable energy

You can reduce your carbon emissions by using energy from renewable sources.

Buy your energy using:

green tariffs where the provider buys the same amount of energy you use from a renewable source such as a wind farm
green funds where the provider invests money into researching or setting up renewable energy projects.

Make sure you know how your electricity supplier will check the green tariff or fund and how this will be displayed on your bill.

Look for a tariff certified under the Green Energy Certification Scheme. The scheme electricity tariffs have been independently checked, and meet the energy regulator Ofgem's Green Energy Supply Guidelines.

Green Energy Supply

Find out if there are any local community renewable energy schemes in your area that you could participate in.

In Scotland, the Energy Saving Trust has developed the Green Network for Businesses. This tool allows you to search by postcode for green businesses in your area. All these businesses have installed energy saving or energy generating technologies .

Once you identify the business that has installed the green technology you are interested in, contact them to organise a visit.

EST: Green Network for Business

Generate your own electricity, from wind or solar energy for example. You could get a loan from the Carbon Trust to help with the capital costs of installing small-scale renewable energy generators.

Take a short course to learn more about renewable technologies. The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) runs a number of how-to courses for people who want to generate their own electricity.

You can use the NetRegs e-learning tools to get a good overview of key issues. These tools are free to use and cover the essential points of each topic. They might be useful as a refresher course, or to make sure that staff have a good understanding of their environmental responsibilities.

Preventing pollution – a general guide
Duty of care
Sinks, drains and sewers
WEEE
Generating renewable energy

All are available at: NetRegs: e-learning tools:

Watch our short videos:

Further information on reducing carbon emissions

Zero Waste Scotland has produced a series of free, online training modules for SMEs. The training will help develop the skills and knowledge needed to put in place effective resource efficiency measures in your business. They deal with energy, waste and water efficiency. You can work through them at your own speed, choosing the modules that are relevant to your business.

Business Energy Scotland: Green Champions Training

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