Future Humber x Pace
Tackling climate change is everyone’s responsibility … just ask Future Humber and Pace!
Imagine you’re an organisation which has removed gas from your operations, switched your vehicle fleet to electric, and made sure your energy is 100 per cent renewable.
On top of that, you’ve introduced a paperless pledge, switched business travel to train and invested in energy saving and efficiency measures.
So, job done? Unfortunately, not the case!
That’s because, for most organisations, the majority of carbon emissions are actually found in the supply chain.
Place promotion organisation Future Humber and creative comms agency Pace Communications are working together to measure and reduce their carbon footprint.
Identifying our top 10 suppliers revealed 80 per cent of our footprint
Diana Taylor is the Managing Director of place promotion organisation Future Humber.
Championing one voice for the region as a world-leading centre for decarbonisation, Future Humber is also committed to reducing its own carbon footprint.
Through the Oh Yes! Net Zero Carbon Clinic series, Future Humber is working one-to-one with a leading member of its supply chain to start to address its own Scope 3 footprint.
Diana said: “We decided the best place to start was to understand what the biggest external sources of our carbon footprint were.
“We identified our top 10 biggest suppliers, and from that we realised they contributed to around 80 per cent of our carbon emissions.
“From there, we approached a key supplier who we knew would be proactive and engage in this process with us. That organisation was Pace.”
Future Humber’s top 10 suppliers contribute to around 80 per cent of the organisation’s carbon footprint.
Future Humber sat down with Pace Communications for a one-to-one Carbon Clinic workshop.
‘We were reassured to find the first steps were actually quite simple’
For almost a decade, Pace Communications has embraced creativity to help its clients find new, imaginative ways to tell their stories.
Founded and based in Hull, Pace works with a host of leading clients, from eco-friendly cleaning product provider and fellow Oh Yes! Net Zero member Bio-D to composite decking manufacturer Trex and holiday homes specialist Victory Leisure Homes.
As a major supplier to Future Humber, Pace is now turning its creative hand to finding ways to tackle its own environmental impact.
Managing Director Anita Pace said: “Much like Future Humber, a large proportion of our own carbon footprint comes from the goods and services we use to help bring clients’ stories to life, from props and equipment for filming to printed materials and branded items.
“We’re looking closely at where, and how, we purchase those materials, to make sure we’re providing clients with sustainably sourced merchandise.
“It’s been a fascinating learning process for us as a business.”
The climate conversation is heating up
For Pace, one area of focus was understanding and measuring the heating and energy consumption of its office.
To facilitate that, Pace arranged with its landlord, Oh Yes! member Wykeland Group, to install a sub-meter for its office, so it could accurately monitor and reduce consumption.
“Now we have that foundation in place, we’ve begun experimenting with heating and cooling levels to find a balance where our team is comfortable, and we are being as efficient as possible,” Anita said.
“When we started this process with Future Humber and Oh Yes! Net Zero, we were reassured by how simple some of the first steps were. There is perhaps a misconception that net zero is hugely complicated, but there are a lot of simple things you can do.
“We’re talking to our own team to inspire behavioural changes to the way we work and travel. It’s certainly made us think in a different way.”
“We’re talking to our own team to inspire behavioural changes to the way we work and travel. It’s certainly made us think in a different way.”
Pace has also reviewed its office lighting to ensure it is as efficient as possible, and invests in carbon offset schemes for its international business travel.
Growing your business while reducing your carbon
Future Humber has seen a significant growth in activity in recent years.
Diana said a key challenge facing many organisations was driving business growth while also reducing your carbon footprint.
“There was a time when we were delivering four events a year. Today, we deliver more than 50 a year. When you are increasing your output that significantly, you will naturally see a huge impact on your carbon footprint.
“How do we demonstrate that we are growing, and reducing our footprint at the same time? That is something we have given a lot of thought to.
“We soon realised we couldn’t do everything at once. It’s about compartmentalising it, focusing on one event at a time, and the things that are within your control.”
Both Future Humber and Pace agreed that investing time and money in net zero is not just good for the planet, but good for business.
As clients become increasingly aware of their environmental responsibility, businesses must find sustainable ways of working without compromising on quality.
More information on Oh Yes! Net Zero’s Carbon Clinic workshops can be found at: https://www.ohyesnetzero.uk/news/about-carbon-clinic-workshops.
