The Acre Team take the stairs

At Acre Resources we've been transforming our working habits to lower our carbon impact. Our efforts have significantly reduced our emissions - but we've also seen them generating all kinds of positive side effects for the business.

The whole Acre team got involved in 10:10 from the outset, suggesting small things we could do to make a real difference to our carbon footprint. We installed energy saving bulbs, began switching off appliances at the plug overnight, and even held a competition to encourage staff to use the stairs rather than the lift to reach our fifth floor office - getting us in better shape as well as reducing electricity usage. A strong start, but where next?

A look at our supply chain showed that we could be making even greater emissions savings by changing our procurement habits. Stationary orders were arriving with worrying frequency, resulting in high postage costs and an even higher carbon footprint. Now that we’ve organised stationary deliveries to happen less often and in advance, we’re never short of staples or printer paper, and are moving ever closer to making our 10% carbon reduction.

We’ve also taken steps to reduce the amount of paper we use, changing our magazine subscriptions from print to online, setting our computers for double sided printing and re-using scrap paper for our notes.

The first time I went into a meeting with my Director carrying the agenda on a piece of scrap paper, I received a slightly puzzled look

Admittedly, some of these changes have taken a bit of time and adjustment. The first time I went into a meeting with my Director carrying the agenda on a piece of scrap paper, I received a slightly puzzled look - maybe he thought I hadn’t prepared! But as soon as I explained the logic behind it, he agreed it was a good idea, and now he’s encouraging staff to reuse paper wherever possible.

Of course, as a corporate organisation, presentation is always important, but we’ve found that the more we explain what we are doing, the more support we receive, and the more those around us are inspired to make those changes themselves.