A second year of Planet Mark certification

Beth Barnett • May 22, 2023

Last week, we received the great news that our Planet Mark certification had come through!

This is the third year we’ve undergone the process of measuring and reporting on our business emissions, and it’s something that's essential to any business serious about sustainability.

Businesses have a huge role to play in the reduction of global emissions – currently they are responsible for an estimated 18% of all UK GHG emissions. Many companies have no idea how much CO2e they emit or where it comes from, which naturally means they have no idea how to start reducing it. That’s why it’s essential to get started as soon as possible, and the numerous companies out there offering solutions means there’s little excuse.

What’s involved in emissions monitoring?

All you need to do is gather some information that you should already have. If you’re on a smaller budget, you could start with your Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which are your direct emissions from company operations, and indirect energy emissions. That basically means you’ll need to access things like your office or home working electricity and gas bills, evidence of your business travel (tickets, receipts, or expenses claims), and a rough estimate of your waste. When we say rough, we mean it! We literally weighed a bag of recycling and one of landfill and then extrapolated for the year.

Like last year, we got the whole (now slightly larger) team involved: we had Tilly and Josh weighing rubbish, Becky sifting through crumpled train tickets and taxi receipts, Beth crunching numbers, and Russ and Tim overseeing the process. By getting everyone to take part, not only does it take the pressure off, but it also helps to educate the team and get them to engage in our wider regenerative journey.

Russ and Tim first had the A&B footprint measured by Pilio Group within a year of setting up the business, while last year, we decided to switch over to a Planet Mark certification. Planet Mark manage to make the process incredibly straightforward, and the results and recommendations are easy to understand and put into action. The report also shows you which of the UN’s SDGs you’re contributing towards and includes a donation to Cool Earth – which means we have now protected 2 acres of Peruvian rainforest. (Dream team away trip!)

With a little research and time, you could probably work out your emissions yourself. However, it’s worth considering the accuracy, ease, and reassurance provided by an independent verification process. All in all, each year we probably dedicate around 6 hours to the process with Planet Mark, if we did it ourselves… well, let’s just say it would take a little longer.

And what about the results?

This year, our overall emissions rose slightly from 0.7 tCO2e, to 1.1.

This was mainly due to an increase in business travel as the world opened up fully after the pandemic. With more in person client meetings and sector events, our emissions rose from 0.3 tCO2e in 2021, to 0.7 tCO2e in 2022. In particular, Tim and Russ travelled to Berlin twice to visit our long-term retainer client, EnviroSustain, once by plane, and once by train – and while the train journey did save them 74% in carbon emissions, it also took them well over 32 hours of travelling, so perhaps not the most practical solution.

Similarly, there was a slight increase in our home working emissions – mainly because Beth went from a hybrid working model, to working fully remotely halfway through the year. This is therefore likely to remain the same in the next few years.

It was great to see our waste reduce from 0.2 tCO2e to just 0.03 tCO2e. We have worked hard to reduce our packaging waste by bringing in lunches from home and nearly eliminating the need for paper in the office, so it’s good to see this paying off!

In 2023, we do expect our overall footprint to increase slightly once again as a direct result of our business growth. However, our main focus will be on reducing our emissions per employee. We think the areas we can gain some quick wins include lobbying our landlord to switch to 100% renewable energy and by restricting our business travel.

And if you have any questions about the emissions monitoring process, we’d be more than happy to chat to you about it!

Avery & Brown's Certification Report and details of our Impact

Please click the button below to view our 2022 Planet Mark Certification Report.

Avery & Brown's Planet Mark Report 2022

< Older Post Newer Post >

Share the love

Subscribe to 1984, our high-value monthly bulletin..

A close up of waves in the ocean at sunset.

Avery & Brown Demonstrates Continued Climate Commitment with Independent Verification of Business Emissions

By Russ Avery • 17 Apr, 2024

For the fourth consecutive year, Avery & Brown has demonstrated its climate commitment by having its business emissions measured and independently verified.

Bold Policy Briefing Charts a Regenerative Future for Businesses in Surrey, Hampshire and Beyond

By Russ Avery • 05 Apr, 2024

Visionary report by Avery &Brown and Accelar provides a roadmap for the green transition and a flourishing low-carbon economy.

Avery & Brown, The Better Business Network and OPEN Media Launch The 'Better Business Pioneer' Campaign Celebrating Positive Change Makers

By Russ Avery • 16 Oct, 2023

London, UK (17 October 2023) Three UK Certified B Corporations have launched a new campaign celebrating 'Better Business Pioneers' – individuals in the workplace driving positive change in the face of inaction from world leaders. The campaign, which launches on Monday 23 October 2023, comes in response to the lack of progress on pressing global issues like climate change, biodiversity loss and social inequality. By spotlighting those already driving change, the campaign aims to counter climate doom, inspire more conscious actions, and showcase how we all have the power to shape a better future. The campaign is a collaboration between Avery & Brown, a sustainable brand, marketing and creative agency, The Better Business Network, an inclusive network for purpose-driven business owners and leaders, and OPEN Media, an out-of-home media owner, operating a portfolio of screens across the entire UK.

Reporting on Reporting: How does UKGBC communicate its impact?

By Josh Haughton • 28 Sep, 2023

This is the first in a series of several blogs looking at key brands in the built environment sector and how they approach impact reporting. We’ll be looking at design, outcomes, metrics, audience, insights and much more. Impact reporting is a crucial activity for each and every organisation, but it can also be daunting and overwhelming for a business embarking on its first. The purpose of this blog series is to show the many ways that your company’s impact can be reported and what to look out for along the way. For instance, is an organisation acting upon its insights? Are they communicating their message clearly? And most importantly of all, are they doing it in a way that is sustainable?

Becoming a B Corp: insights and tips from our recent certification

By Beth Barnett • 25 Sep, 2023

In this blog we interview Beth , our Brand and Design Lead, on the process of becoming a B Corp. We get into the details of how the process worked and what tips and insights she has for other small businesses thinking of certifying.

Avery & Brown Signs the Queue for Climate and Nature Open Letter

By Russ Avery • 20 Sep, 2023

As long-term members of Business Declares, we are delighted to support the team with their latest campaign. Read this post to find out how your business can get involved too.

The Road to Collective Impact: How Avery & Brown Became a Certified B Corporation

By Russ Avery • 04 Sep, 2023

Avery & Brown is delighted to announce it has achieved B Corp Certification with a score of 107.6. Read this post by our CEO, Russ Avery, and learn all about collective impact and what the journey looks like from here.

How data visualisation can help your business convey complex information

By Tim Brown • 31 Aug, 2023

Whatever your industry, data will play a key role in delivering crucial insight into mission-critical factors that can help you achieve your business goals. Whether you’re looking at population density and local CO2 emissions or sales figures and open rates, it’s important that the data is presented in a way that is easy to understand for the user.