Carbon Neutral Hosting
Yo u r fu t u r e i s o u r b u s i n e s s
1 Minute Guide: What Customers Want
1 Minute Guide: What Customers Want
Why change? Climate change is one of the most critical issues facing the world today. Concentrations of CO2 have increased by more than 35% since industrialisation began, and they are now at their highest for at least 800,000 years.1 Even if global temperatures rise by only 2oC, 20-30% of species could face extinction.1
Climate chan ge is a global chal lenge
In response to these challenges, there has been a massive surge in demand for environmentally-friendly products and services. More people are buying from organisations that offer ethical products and from companies that can demonstrate their environmental commitments than ever before. Demand is growing at an unprecedented rate, and with increasing social and legislative pressure, it is only set to accelerate. Businesses have to act now in order to keep up and avoid being overtaken by the competition. Changing buyer behaviour More and more people want to buy from ethical companies and are choosing products that help tackle climate change. A real change in behaviour has started, with Sir Richard Branson saying at the 2010 Creating Climate Wealth Conference that “protecting natural resources and reducing carbon emissions are the greatest entrepreneurial opportunities in history.” In a poll of 14,500 people in 15 countries, more than half said they were “active ethical consumers.” The UK has the greatest awareness, with more than 4 out of 5 saying they recognise the Fairtrade mark.2 A survey by The Cooperative on the rise of ethical consumerism3 found that: 41% of public say that Corporate Social Responsibility is very important to their purchasing decisions 59% of people will recommend a company based upon a responsible reputation 1 in 2 UK adults claim to have purchased a product primarily for ethical reasons
More consum ers are buying gr een
65% of consumers describe themselves as ethical consumers 59% of consumers rate ethical considerations as very important when purchasing Spending on products to tackle climate change has increased 10 fold (1,000%) since 1999 Expenditure on ethical goods has grown almost 3 fold (267%) since 1999. Thousands of companies are already adapting to satisfy these new demands, choosing to offer consumers greener alternatives. This includes products, services and even websites, which can easily be made carbon neutral.
www.ukfast.co.uk/carbon-neutral-hosting.html
1 Minute Guide: What Customers Want
Accelerating demands from customers For businesses, there are financial benefits to being carbon efficient, as well as environmental benefits. In January 2010, President Obama declared in his State of the Union speech: “The nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy.” A study by Cahoot4 showed that people in the UK are willing to pay more money in order to be more environmentally-friendly.
Consumers will pay upto 10% m ore for products that are better fo r the environmen 4 t
64% of those living in the UK prefer to purchase products which are environmentally-friendly4 Sales of ethical clothing in the UK have more than quadrupled in the last 5 years5 55% of consumers are more likely to choose to save with an ethical bank than a year ago5 34% of Europeans said they would continue to look for and purchase green products5 Increasing social pressure People are becoming increasingly concerned and passionate about saving the planet and making a difference. Research published in science journal Nature stated that rising temperatures could lead to the extinction of more than a million species by 2050.6 According to the Greendex 2009 survey7, 55% of consumers across 17 countries agreed that they are “very concerned” about environmental problems. Only 14% disagreed. Non-Governmental organisations, including The Carbon Trust, The Carbon War Room, Greenpeace and WWF International are running high profile global campaigns to raise awareness of the issues fuelling a tide change in behaviour. As these campaigns become more widespread and more effective, demand for products and services that address climate change issues is likely to accelerate even faster. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WCDS) and WWF are urging governments to cut global CO2 emissions by at least 50% by the middle of this century. The latest report showed it was possible to stop global warming if the world’s emissions start to decline before 2015.9 One Planet Living is a global initiative based on 10 principles of sustainability, developed by BioRegional and WWF. Calculations show that if everyone in the world lived like an average European, we would need 3 planets to live on.10 As these messages become more public and social awareness rises, pressure is growing. Consumers and businesses alike are expected to behave in an ethically responsible manner and demonstrate ethical values.
www.ukfast.co.uk/carbon-neutral-hosting.html
1 Minute Guide: What Customers Want
Legislative penalties Legislation targeting businesses on energy efficiency has already been introduced and more is coming. There will be no escape from penalties and increasing costs for those who don’t show a commitment to reducing their carbon footprint. There are several pieces of legislation that exist around climate change to assist the UK in meeting its energy efficiency targets. The UK is targeted to mitigate climate change by reducing emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, under the Climate Change Act By 2010, the country is committed to a 20% emission reduction Under the Kyoto Protocol, the EU as a whole has an 8% reduction target. The target for UK/Northern Ireland was set at a reduction of 12.5% from 1990 to 2012
Businesses are targeted o emission re n duction under CR C
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is a legally binding climate change and energy saving scheme targeting large businesses and public sector organisations, (accounting for between 10 and 13% of the UK’s emissions.) Under the CRC scheme, eligible businesses will be ranked in a league table, based on their carbon performance and will be required to purchase carbon credits for the energy they use. Consumers will be able to use these league tables to make purchasing decisions based on environmental performance. In addition, the media is likely to use this information to name and shame organisations that are underperforming or not meeting the required standard of reduction. The Climate Change Levy is a charge on energy usage for businesses and the public sector, with discounts available for businesses meeting their energy efficiency targets - a further incentive for large organisations to meet their commitments. With SMEs accounting for 45% of UK business energy use11, it is likely that more legislation will follow and that ultimately all companies, regardless of size, will be required to act responsibly. A new specification was launched in 2010 by the British Standards Institution, PAS 2060, in response to the amount of unsubstantiated or confusing claims about environmental performance. This certification is used to prove that a business’ carbon neutrality claims meet European standards and government guidelines, enabling consumers and businesses to make informed purchase decisions. Don’t miss this opportunity Businesses need to adapt to changing consumer expectations or risk being left behind. Reducing climate change is a key challenge for businesses around the world – reflected by increasing targets and legislation that must be adhered to. With rising demand from ethical consumers, companies should ensure that their products and services can satisfy ethical demands and must be transparent about their environmental credentials.
www.ukfast.co.uk/carbon-neutral-hosting.html
1 Minute Guide: What Customers Want
UKFast has recognised the need for change, becoming 100% carbon neutral by providing hosting solutions powered by renewable hydro electric energy. In addition, UKFast is the world’s first hosting company to be certified carbon neutral under BSI PAS 2060. Our entire operation and all hosting solutions are certified carbon neutral at no additional cost to our customers. This enables every UKFast client to immediately remove an average of 1 tonne CO2e per annum without investment or hassle.
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All clients are also provided with a “100% carbon neutral” logo for use on their websites and marketing collateral so that their customers can identify their ethical status at a glance. UKFast will be investing considerable resources into raising awareness of this badge, to help consumers to quickly and easily identify carbon neutral websites. At a time when it is predicted that UK shoppers will be spending £600 billion online over the next 10 years12, can your business afford to miss out?
How do I join the revolution?
Contact UKFast today – it’s quick, easy and free to completely neutralise your website. This immediately removes an average of 1 tonne CO2e per annum Display our “100% carbon neutral” logo on your site to attract the growing market of ethical consumers Read the “1 Minute Guide to Cutting Carbon” for quick and simple tips to reduce your energy consumption.
How do you get the 100% carbon neutral stamp on your website? Contact UKFast today. Call 0800 954 0895 or visit www.ukfast.co.uk/carbon-neutral-hosting.html
www.ukfast.co.uk/carbon-neutral-hosting.html
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1 Minute Guide: What Customers Want
Also available in this series:
Over 40% of current CO2 emissions are caused by the choices we make as individuals. (Met Office.) This guide contains a range of simple energy saving tips for the office environment, designed to help save costs and reduce your carbon footprint.
ide: te Gu bon u n i 1 M ing Car Cutt
Also available from UKFast: 1 Minute Guide: Cutting Carbon
Document references A list of document references (1-12) can be found in the UKFast client area - www.ukfast.co.uk/myukfast.html Please login to find details of these references and other related reports.
www.ukfast.co.uk/carbon-neutral-hosting.html
64% of customers are walking away from businesses that neglect to clean up their carbon footprint. Four thousand businesses have already neutralised their website emissions. Have you? An average company website creates 1 tonne of CO2e emissions every year.
With a 1000% increase in spending on products that tackle climate change, now is the time to react to the changing demands of your customers. Don’t get left behind, contact us today to find out how to quickly neutralise your website free of charge.
www.ukfast.co.uk/carbon-neutral-hosting.html
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