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22 August 2025

Scope 1, 2 & 3 Emissions Icon, Cala Sustain, Green Consultancy

Carbon Footprint

What is a Carbon Footprint?

A carbon footprint is a calculation of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused directly by a person, organisation, event, or product.

There are six key greenhouse gases emitted by human activities that contribute to global warming, but to make things easier we measure everything in relation to CO2 because it is the most common.

Everything we do leaves a carbon footprint, from the cars we drive, the food we consume, or the clothes we wear.

One way to gain a quantifiable understanding of the impacts of our actions, for good and bad, is through what is known as a carbon footprint. But while the concept is gaining traction – Googling “How do I reduce my carbon footprint?” yields almost thirty million responses – it is not always fully understood.

Personal Carbon Footprint

The average carbon footprint per person in the UK, per year, is 12.7 tonnes CO2e, which is around double the global average. To put that into perspective, you would need to drive 23,000 miles in the average car to emit 12.7 tonnes of CO2e (that is once around the world).

To limit climate change and remain within the IPCCs target of 1.5C warming, it is estimated these emissions need to be reduced to around 2.3 tonnes CO2e per year.

Calculating our carbon footprint, enables us to understand the measures we can take to reduce our footprint.

There are a number of free resources online that show how to calculate your carbon footprint. One useful resource is Carbon Footprints carbon calculator. By combining the various aspects of your life, from energy used in the household, transport to spending habits, it provides an overview of your carbon footprint and where you emit the most carbon in your life.

Business Carbon Footprint

Within a few short years, knowing your organisations’ carbon footprint has gone from a niche ‘nice to have’ to a common occurrence in business. Large UK companies and larger energy users have had to report on their carbon emissions by law for over 10 years. Many organisations are making carbon a key part of their procurement process.

Measuring Carbon Footprint

When it comes to measuring your carbon footprint, data collection is the trickiest part of the process. It requires you to obtain data for every component of your business’s carbon-releasing activity. A bottom-up approach is frequently applied to carbon footprint calculations to manage emissions and evaluate carbon policies. By considering individual contributors separately and progressing from lower-level stakeholder towards high level management, more accurate calculations can be made.

Reducing Carbon Footprint

Once you’ve collected the data, it is a case of analysing what you can and cannot reduce. Factors including:

Energy usage
Transportation and logistics
Supply chain choices
Product design
Employee and facility practices.

Where your focus lies will differ depending on the size, sector, and industry your business is in.

Reducing or offsetting emissions

In some sectors, technologies exist that can bring emissions to zero.

By using Renewable energy, electricity generation can be reduced. Basing industrial processes on renewable energy rather than gas can help bring emissions to zero.

In some industries, such as aviation, agriculture, or manufacturing the switch to clean energy is harder. The emissions are unlikely to become zero. Therefore, emissions from these sectors will need to be offset, with equivalent CO2 being removed from the atmosphere.

Why companies should reduce their carbon footprint

Economic cost of not acting

In the UK, the Climate Change Committee estimates that delivering net-zero will cost 1% of UK GDP, with the investment delivering £90 billion a year in economic benefits. The costs of not acting are much higher, with reports suggesting that the global economy could be 7-10% smaller in 2050 because of climate costs.

Effective Climate Action

We have entered an era where companies big and small are making public environmental commitments. Alongside those commitments, you’ll have heard the terms carbon neutral, net-zero, and climate positive a lot. Your company might be tempted to jump on the climate commitment bandwagon. The key step before making commitments or inadvertently greenwashing is to measure your emissions.

When it comes to sustainability, measurement and tracking help break large, complex sustainability goals into smaller, manageable steps. You will also be able to identify strategies and interim goals to support those big ambitions.

Scope 1,2,3 Emissions

Emissions use a classification system.

Scope 1 Emissions

These are the emissions from sources you own and control and are therefore directly responsible for. For most businesses, this will be any gas heating or fuel oil you burn on-site, and the fuel you use in your company vehicles. If you use industrial refrigeration or air conditioning, refrigerant losses would also be included here, along with any emissions that may be released directly during a manufacturing process.

Scope 2 Emissions

These are the emissions you indirectly produce through the energy you purchase, which for many businesses is solely electricity. By using electricity, you are indirectly responsible for the greenhouse gases generated at source by the energy producer.

Scope 3 Emissions

These are any other emissions you are indirectly responsible for from sources outside your direct control, e.g., the goods and services you purchase, the distribution and use of your own goods and services by customers, the disposal of your waste, employee commuting or business travel.

A carbon audit is key to begin to start tackling your emissions.

Reducing Scope 3 Emissions

Scope 3 emissions are the largest part of overall emissions. For manufactured products, typically 60-80% of the total emissions will be Scope 3.

Scope 3 Emissions are also the most difficult to track because they occur across a company’s entire value chain. This includes suppliers, distributors, and end-users, which makes data fragmented, indirect, and often out of the company’s control. Whereas with Scope 1 and 2, a company will normally have the source data needed to convert direct purchases of gas and electricity into a value in tonnes of GHGs.

The challenges in achieving net zero value chains

There are five key challenges to achieving net-zero value chains for businesses:

A lack of carbon accounting foundations
Over Reliance on secondary data for Scope 3 emissions
Uncertainty over cost and technical feasibility of carbon-reduction levers
Lack of industry-wide collaboration to address sources of emissions
The need for sustained engagement by internal and external stakeholders

Tackling Scope 3 Emissions

One of the difficulties in evaluating Scope 3 emissions is that companies use different methodologies and data sources which reduces comparability.

Addressing the data gap in supplier-emissions tracking requires collaboration between multiple players in the value chain.

There are improvements in this area, the Value Chain Carbon Transparency Pathfinder for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) was launched by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

This is a global initiative designed to enable the exchange of product-level carbon emissions data across entire value chains. It helps companies track and share verified Scope 3 emissions using primary data, rather than relying on industry averages, making carbon accounting more accurate and actionable. The Pathfinder Framework provides consistent guidelines for calculating emissions and fosters collaboration among businesses, tech providers, and standard-setting bodies to accelerate decarbonisation.

Forging alliances is such a pivotal element in achieving sustainability and decarbonisation.

Measuring the carbon footprint of a business and its extended value chain is a necessity for most organisations. Those that succeed, will provide their business with a safer future and new value in a world with limited resources.

The Benefits of decarbonisation

Reducing a company’s carbon footprint unlocks strategic opportunities and delivers tangible business value. It lowers energy and resource costs, boosts operational efficiency, and enhances brand reputation with increasingly eco-conscious consumers.

Regulatory compliance becomes easier, and companies may gain access to green funding or preferred supplier status. It also builds resilience against climate-related risks and fosters innovation through sustainable practices.

Employees tend to engage more when companies reflect values they support, which improves retention. Importantly, tackling emissions – especially Scope 3 – helps strengthen partnerships across the value chain, setting businesses up for long-term success in a low-carbon economy.

Cala Sustain can help you to Scope your 1,2,3 Emissions

We are experts at delivering carbon reduction programmes. We are helping the Ministry of Defence (MoD) achieve its Net Zero commitments.

Cala Sustain will help you to quantify, analyse and report your carbon footprint, whether that is direct emissions (Scope 1) or indirect emissions (Scope 2 &3). We help you navigate the complexity of emission accounting, helping to reveal emissions drivers, emissions by facility or region and year-on-year trends.

We will work with you, providing guidance on your carbon accounting and reporting by:

Helping to define the scope of reporting
Reviewing your processes, controls and data
Providing recommendations on best practice in monitoring and reporting
Providing independent assurance over your carbon reporting and disclosure in your Annual Report
Assisting you with creating a strong reporting and communication strategy

Find out how we can help

If you think we could be a good fit for your organisation or project get in touch.

Get in touch

22 July 2025

Integrating Circular Economy, Header image

How to integrate a circular economy into your business

The Circular Economy is an economic system designed to eliminate waste and keep materials in use for as long as possible.

Benefits of Circluar Economy

Circularity is sensible from a sustainability perspective – it also makes good business sense.

The circular economy can:

Give businesses a competitive advantage by leading the innovation curve,
Open up new markets,
Improve brand reputation and value
Improve customer perceptions and relationships
Reduce risk from price volatility and pressure from new legislation to supply chain failures.

We look at how you can integrate circularity into your business.

Using sustainable procurement

Sustainable procurement plays a critical role in building a circular economy. Supply chains account for a significant share of an organisation’s environmental impact, particularly in sectors reliant on imported raw materials.

Circular procurement involves sourcing goods and services that align with circular principles. This means prioritising

Durability
Reparability
Recyclability
Shared ownership models

The two core pillars of Sustainable Procurement are:

Stimulating circular supply chains by increasing demand for circular products and services
Supporting innovative, resource-efficient business models that enable product-as-a-service and closed-loop systems

Adopting circular procurement transforms purchasing into a strategic tool. It pushes organisations to look beyond upfront costs and consider the full lifecycle of what they buy. These kinds of questions become central to decision making:

Should we lease this equipment rather than buy it?
Can we procure materials with recycled or certified sustainable content?

By embedding circularity criteria into procurement, it becomes a lever for risk reduction, cost optimisation, improved resilience, and greater impact.

This evolution gives procurement a more strategic role across the supply chain.

It changes how suppliers are chosen, how performance is measured, and how relationships are managed. This paves the way for more transparent, circular value networks.

Product design

Product design is the engine room of the circular economy. It determines around 80% of a product’s environmental impact. When done right, it keeps materials in use, reduces waste, and enables new business models that are regenerative by design.

Here’s how product design promotes circularity:

Design for durability: Products are made to last longer, reducing the need for frequent replacements. Think Patagonia jackets or Vitsoe shelving.
Modularity and repairability: Components are easy to replace or upgrade. Fairphone, for example, lets users swap out parts like batteries or cameras with a screwdriver.
Material selection: Designers choose materials that are recyclable, biodegradable, or already recycled. This minimises virgin resource use and simplifies end-of-life recovery.
Design for disassembly: Products are assembled in ways that allow easy separation of parts and materials, which is crucial for effective recycling or remanufacturing.
Product-as-a-service models: Design supports leasing or subscription models (e.g. lighting as a service), where ownership stays with the manufacturer, incentivising longevity and reuse.
Closed-loop thinking: Designers consider the entire lifecycle – from sourcing and manufacturing to use and recovery – ensuring materials flow in loops, not lines.

Ensuring the product has a sustainable design requires innovation. If the product design is durable and / or modular, this can greatly reduce the raw materials needed to replace or repair broken parts.

Packaging

According to Accenture, 40% of plastic pollution comes from packaging, and if circular solutions don’t scale, we could see more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. That’s why businesses are under growing pressure from regulators and consumers alike.

Packaging plays a pivotal role in a circular economy. Here’s how packaging supports circularity:

Use of renewable or recycled content: Circular packaging often incorporates biobased or post-consumer recycled materials, reducing reliance on virgin resources.
Reuse and refill models: Reusable containers for groceries and refill stations for cleaning products. These models reduce single-use packaging and foster long-term material loops.
Compostable solutions: For packaging that can’t be reused or recycled, compostable materials offer a biological route back into the ecosystem, especially for food-contaminated items.
Right-sizing and minimalism: Reducing excess packaging both cuts down the use of materials and lowers emissions from transport and disposal.
Design for recyclability: Packaging should be made from materials that are easy to recycle, like mono-material plastics or paperboard, and avoid complex laminates or mixed materials that hinder recycling.

Distribution

Distribution plays a crucial role in enabling a circular economy. Distribution in a circular economy is about more than moving goods from point A to B; it’s about reimagining logistics to support reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling.

Here’s why distribution matters:

Reverse logistics: In a circular system, products and materials need to flow back through the supply chain – for returns, repairs, or recycling. Efficient reverse logistics are essential to close the loop.
Localisation and decentralisation: Circular models often favour local production and consumption. Smart distribution networks reduce transport emissions and support local economies by shortening supply chains.
Product-as-a-service models: These require flexible, responsive distribution systems to deliver, maintain, and retrieve products. Such as leased appliances or shared mobility services.
Inventory and material flow optimisation: Circularity demands
real-time tracking of materials and components to ensure they’re reused or reallocated efficiently, reducing waste and idle stock.
Collaboration across networks: Distribution becomes a connector between manufacturers, refurbishers, recyclers, and consumers, facilitating shared value creation across the lifecycle.

As one recent study points out, the potential to distribute value and power in circular systems is just as important as the flow of materials. Without equitable and transparent distribution networks, circularity risks becoming extractive in new ways.

End of life

Managing a product’s end-of-life in a circular economy is all about keeping materials in use and their value circulating, rather than letting them slip into landfill or incineration. Instead of seeing end-of-life as the end, circular thinking treats it as a new beginning.

Here’s how it works:

Repair and refurbishment: Products are restored to working condition and reintroduced into the market. This extends their lifespan and reduces demand for new resources.
Remanufacturing: Components are disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt to original specifications. This is common in sectors like automotive and electronics.
Recycling and material recovery: When reuse isn’t possible, materials are recovered and reprocessed into new products. The goal is to maintain material quality and avoid downcycling.
Product take-back schemes: Brands collect used products from customers such as IKEA’s furniture buy-back or Apple’s device recycling – to ensure responsible recovery and reuse.
Design for end-of-life: Products are created with disassembly, recyclability, and material separation in mind, making recovery easier and more efficient.
Cradle-to-cradle systems: Materials from one product’s end-of-life become the input for another’s beginning – closing the loop entirely.
Ease for consumers: For these systems to work, they must be intuitive and convenient for consumers. That means:
- Clear labelling and transparency about recycled content or repairability.
- Easy access to take-back schemes, repair services, or refill stations.
- Seamless digital platforms for renting, sharing, or reselling products.

When circular options are the most convenient ones, adoption accelerates and so does impact.

Examples of good practice of circular economy

Within the UK, there are many examples of positive circular economies in practice.

Interfloor

Interfloor, one of Europe’s largest underlay manufacturers, have adopted a circular economy for their products.

The Renu underlay reduces the amount of waste going to landfill and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life, allowing for a circular economy of materials. As it is made from sustainably sourced sugar cane, it can be considered proactively green, with the sugar cane actively capturing CO2 from the atmosphere. This particular underlay won the Flooring Innovation Award 2021.

Winnow

Within commercial kitchens food waste is a serious issue. Winnow’s solution to this is innovative. Using AI to provide an easy way to weigh, categorise and analyse the underlying reasons for food waste, Winnow’s technology increases awareness within the kitchen.

A typical client can expect to reduce waste by 40-70%, with an average reduction of about 50%. The AI system can help identify situations where overproduction has occurred, or work out the monetary value of the food waste. This helps staff to understand the causes and cost of food waste.

Winnow’s food waste technology is currently used in nearly 2,000 locations worldwide, helping to save the equivalent of 36 million meals annually, which translates to around $43 million in food cost savings. Environmentally, this equates to preventing 61,000 tonnes of CO₂e emissions and saving 4.4 billion litres of water each year.

It’s a standout example of how digital tools can drive circular economy outcomes by cutting waste, saving money, and reducing environmental impact all at once.

Teemill

Teemill is a standout example of circular fashion in action. Their closed-loop system is designed to eliminate waste by ensuring that every product is made to be returned, remade, and re-worn.

Every Teemill product comes with a label that encourages customers to send it back when it’s worn out. Returned items are then reprocessed into new garments, creating a continuous material loop.

Teemill only prints garments after they’re ordered, which eliminates overproduction and unsold stock – two major sources of waste in traditional fashion.

They only use organic materials and renewable energy. Products are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton in factories powered by wind and solar energy which reduces environmental impact from the start.

Teemill’s dyeing process uses a closed-loop water filtration system which is so effective that the wastewater is drinkable at the end.

They share their technology with other brands, helping scale circular fashion beyond their own operations.

Lastly, they’ve built software to manage reverse logistics. So, when a product is returned, it’s tracked, sorted, and remade efficiently. It’s a full-circle approach that redefines what sustainable fashion can be.

Embracing circular economy

If you’re ready to embrace the idea of a circular economy for your business, or are figuring out where and how to start, we can help to turn your circular ambitions into reality.

Our experienced circular economy team can help you to develop and apply a circular economy strategy, we will create a bespoke plan that is tailored to your organisation, including:

Mapping how resources move through your business
Identifying resource hot-spots such as raw materials with supply risks
Assessing and developing areas for improvement

References

[1] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43615-024-00379-1

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team has been our trusted support service for all things “responsible business”. They are able to quickly understand and meet our challenges, understand our business and they always add unexpected value.

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Mark’s knowledge and understanding of corporate sustainability issues is extensive. His ability to provide practical solutions to difficult problems through the application of analytical and lateral thinking makes him a great person to do business with.

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Mark has substantial knowledge and experience of environmental and sustainability management issues, an in-depth knowledge of the Ministry of Defence’s processes and procedures, and a sound knowledge of the wider defence industry.

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Cala Sustain have been a great partner to work with on Sustainable Procurement projects, including for the NHS, Defra and under a variety of Frameworks. They demonstrated a wealth of knowledge, experience, tenacity and a clear understanding and practical application of the client’s needs.”

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

We’ve worked with the team at Cala Sustain over the last few years. We’ve valued their expertise, plus their highly professional and ethical approach and would recommend them to any organisation seeking to develop a company-wide sustainability strategy.

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

22 July 2025

Circular Economy

What is the Circular Economy?

The Circular Economy is an economic system designed to eliminate waste and keep materials in use for as long as possible.

The circular economy model is a shift away from the linear economy, where fossil fuels and raw materials are used once and then discarded.

Key Principles of Circular Economy

The key principles of a circular economy include:

Eliminating waste and pollution by designing products that can be reused or repurposed.
Circulating materials at their highest value, ensuring they remain in use rather than becoming waste.
Regenerating nature, supporting sustainable practices that replenish ecosystems.

This means that everything is used at its highest possible value for as long as possible and that natural systems are regenerated.

The concept of circularity closely mimics nature, where there is no waste: all materials have value and are used to sustain life in a myriad of ways.

Why do we need a circular economy?

We need a circular economy to avoid the risk of environmental collapse.

If we continue with current consumption trends, we’d need the resources of three Earths by 2050 to sustain ourselves. The circular economy offers a smarter, more sustainable path forward.

Every year humans generate billions of tonnes of waste much of which ends up in landfill or the ocean. At the same time the earth’s natural resources are being extracted at unsustainable rates. The use of natural resources increases pressure on the environment risking environmental collapse.

According to the Circularity Gap Report, of the 100 billion tonnes of resources used by the global economy each year, only 8.6% are cycled back.

By embedding circular economy principles in major policy frameworks, the UK could deliver 80% of the additional emissions cuts needed to meet its fifth carbon budget, which covers 2028-2032.

In terms of monetary value, it is reported that a comprehensive circular economy could boost the wider UK economy by £75 billion, while creating half a million new jobs.

Benefits of A Circular Economy

A circular economy is beneficial to the environment, the economy, and socially. Here are some key advantages:

Environmental Benefits

Reduces waste and pollution: By designing products for reuse, repair, and recycling, a circular economy minimises landfill waste and pollution.
Cuts carbon emissions: Circular practices can significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Conserves natural resources: Instead of continuously extracting raw materials, circular systems keep resources in use, reducing strain on ecosystems.

Economic and commercial benefits

Boosts economic growth: Transitioning to circularity could generate £3.4 trillion in global economic benefits by 2030, creating new business opportunities.
Encourages innovation: Companies develop new models for product longevity, repairability, and material recovery, driving sustainable innovation.
Supports job creation: Circular industries, such as re-manufacturing and recycling, create employment opportunities in sustainable sectors.
Enhanced brand reputation: improve brand reputation and value by improved customer perceptions and relationships.
Reduces risk: from price volatility and pressure from new legislation to supply chain failures.

Social Benefits

Job creation: By shifting toward reuse, repair, re-manufacturing, and recycling, the UK alone could see up to over 450,000 new circular jobs by 2035.
Inclusive employment: Circular jobs span all skill levels from refurbishing electronics to managing reuse hubs. This creates opportunities for both skilled professionals and those entering or
re-entering the workforce.
Lower cost of living: Products designed to last longer and be repaired easily can save consumers money over time. Think refurbished phones, shared tools, or clothing rental models.
Community resilience: Local repair cafés, sharing platforms, and reuse centres foster stronger community ties and empower people to participate in sustainable living.
Healthier environments: Reducing pollution and waste improves air and water quality, especially in lower-income areas often hit hardest by environmental degradation.
Empowerment through design: When products are made to be repaired or reused, people gain more control over what they own. With a less throwaway culture more value is retained.

A circular economy can help build a fairer, more resilient society – where prosperity is shared, not extracted.

Circular Economy Package

The Circular Economy Package (CEP) UK is a set of policies aimed at transitioning the UK towards a more sustainable, resource-efficient economy. It was introduced to align with the EU’s Circular Economy Package before Brexit and was transposed into UK legislation in December 2020.

In the UK, compliance with the Circular Economy Package (CEP) primarily affects businesses involved in waste generation, product manufacturing, packaging, and resource management. The CEP sets out obligations that apply across sectors. Here’s a breakdown of who’s most affected:

Manufacturers and producers
Retailers and importers
Waste management and recycling firms
Construction and demolition firms
Public sector bodies

How to integrate a circular economy

We look in depth at how you an integrate a circular economy in this article. The top line information is below.

Using sustainable procurement practices: Supply chains account for a significant share of an organisation’s environmental impact, particularly in sectors reliant on imported raw materials.
Product design: Product design determines around 80% of a product’s environmental impact. When done right, it keeps materials in use, reduces waste, and enables new business models that are regenerative by design.
Packaging: According to Accenture, 40% of plastic pollution comes from packaging. Businesses are under growing pressure from regulators and consumers alike.
Distribution: It’s vital to reimagine logistics to support reuse, repair, re-manufacturing, and recycling.

Embracing circular economy

If you’re ready to embrace the idea of a circular economy for your business, or are figuring out where and how to start, we can help to turn your circular ambitions into reality.

Our experienced circular economy team can help you to develop and apply a circular economy strategy, we will create a bespoke plan that is tailored to your organisation, including:

Mapping how resources move through your business
Identifying resource hotspots such as raw materials with supply risks
Assessing and developing areas for improvement

References

[1] https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/what-is-circular-economy-and-how-it-helps-fight-climate-change

[2] https://resource.co/article/circular-economy-could-boost-uk-economy-75bn-says-wrap

[3] Ellen MacArthur Foundation

[4] https://green-alliance.org.uk/press-release/transforming-approach-to-repair-and-remanufacture-would-create-thousands-of-jobs-and-help-define-levelling-up-report-finds/

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

30 June 2025

Innovation Packaging

The problem – Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution poses one of the most urgent threats to Earth’s natural ecosystems.

Without action, plastic waste entering waterways (and ultimately the ocean) could climb to 22 million tonnes annually within a decade, potentially reaching 58 million tonnes.

Currently, 40% of all plastic produced is for single-use packaging. Despite the mounting environmental costs, global plastic production is projected to more than double by 2050.

Widespread usage of single-use packaging containers has resulted in a heavy burden on the environment, and the management of packaging waste is facing a crisis due to two unresolved challenges:

Recyclability – Large amounts of packaging produced today cannot be recycled in existing recycling systems.
Packaging recycling and leakage – In Europe the plastic-recycling rate reported is approximately 40%, with 80% for paperboard, and 75-80% for metal and glass. Global leakage is estimated at around 19%. Despite the potential for plastic to be reused and recycled, most global plastic waste goes into incineration (25%) and landfills (40%).

Sustainability and consumer behaviour

Over the past decade, the global packaging industry has enjoyed strong growth, driven by shifts in choice of substrates and expansion of new end-markets.

It is more important than ever for companies to have both a short- and long-term plastics strategy, that can minimise the impact on the planet and get ahead of future regulation. Concern around single-use packaging waste – is combining with other powerful trends to drive major changes in consumer packaging.

Thanks to a shift towards sustainable behaviour, we are entering a new era of innovative packaging.

Packaging that is sustainable, functional, useful and innovative are the foundations of consumer trends for the future.

Securing Competitive Advantage

Companies that manage to develop new, sustainable packaging solutions will secure a major market advantage. Customer demands in relation to sustainability are on the rise. One study found that 55% of consumers worry about packaging’s environmental impact, especially due to marine pollution and resource depletion. So it is very much a mainstream concern.

Sustainable packaging concepts that combine innovative materials and design and that reduce consumption of materials will be winners in the future.

Changing the behaviour of big business and consumers

Some packaging often seems vital – until it isn’t.

In the UK the 5 pence charge on plastic bags brought down their use by 86% with customers quickly adopting reusable options.

The UK Plastic Tax

The UK government introduced a new tax on 1 April 2022 on plastic packaging manufactured in, or imported into the UK that does not contain at least 30% recycled plastic. The rate of tax is £200 per metric tonne of plastic packaging. This is designed to provide a financial incentive for businesses to use recycled plastic in the manufacture of plastic packaging. Alongside this, businesses will have to provide robust evidence and keep records.

According to the Government, this new tax is expected to impact around 20,000 manufacturers and importers of plastic in the UK.

Packaging Solutions

Almost all of the top 100 FMCG companies have made bold declarations and commitments to drive sustainability over the coming years.

There are three main areas of activity:

Committing to higher/ full recyclability is the most widely adopted practice, accounting for 60% of commitments
Reduction in plastics usage 26% of commitments
The innovation and promotion of change in the use of packaging coming in third at 14% of commitments

Circular economy and innovation

In a circular economy, upstream innovation is about tracing a problem back to its root cause and tackling it there.

This means that rather than working out how to deal with huge amounts of waste, we prevent it from being created in the first place. This innovation requires a shift in mindset, rethinking how products and services are sold without creating waste.

This upstream innovation mindset can be used to achieve three key circular economy strategies – elimination, reuse, and material circulation. Where elimination and reuse are fairly self-explanatory, material circulation refers to recycling or through biological process composting.

Redesigning packaging

By redesigning packaging, plastic packaging can be completely removed.

Using Biodegradable Materials

Biodegradable packaging is one of the key innovations, and has been gaining traction over the past few years. Single-use plastics, such as polythene bags and straws are intended to be thrown away immediately after use.

By engineering biodegradable single use products companies can ensure convenience is blended with environmental responsibility.

Biodegradable packaging involves the use of starch, cellulose and biopolymers. In addition, plant-based packaging, such as sugarcane, coconut, hemp, and cornstarch can be used as replacements.

To enable the use of paper-based packaging, some brands have changed typically liquid products, such as soaps, into dry solids – eliminating the need for plastic bottles.

Biodegradable Packaging Example: Earth Breeze

Earth Breeze is a laundry detergent company that offers a subscription based service.

They have redesigned detergent from a liquid to a sheet. This has enabled them to drastically reduce the amount of packaging required, compared to traditional liquid detergent. They also use 100% biodegradable ink and cardboard packaging. So there’s no need for plastic.

They claim this reduces carbon emissions from transport by 94%. Standard liquid detergent can also be up to 90% water, therefore this product reduces water use.

This innovative redesign of a product has reduced the company’s carbon footprint.

Biodegradable Packaging Example: Notpla

Notpla has developed a biodegradable takeaway box made from seaweed, which Just Eat is using to replace plastic containers. These boxes are designed to be fully compostable in a home compost or general waste within a few weeks. Just Eat is trialling these boxes with restaurant partners across the UK, aiming to reduce plastic waste in the takeaway industry.

Improving recyclability

Eliminating plastic at source and changing people’s mindsets should be the number one priority. However, where this is not possible recycling and ensuring plastics are biodegradable is a good second step.

Recycling is at the heart of the circular economy, however only 9% of plastic waste is currently recycled. Lots of brands claim to have recyclable packaging (despite the fact that in certain areas, the facilities to process so-called ‘recyclable’ materials simply don’t exist), they’re having trouble producing recycled packaging. This comes down not only to the low availability of top-notch recycled plastic due to the purportedly reduced quality of recycled resin (eco-responsible packaging is tricky to engineer, and different types of plastics can’t be recycled as one) but also due to concerns over food safety.

LAM’ON

LAM’ON are a Bulgarian start-up that produce 100% compostable and biodegradable lamination film and foil packaging. The foil is made of polylactic acid, derived from corn. The use of silver nanoparticles as antibacterial additives in the foil makes it a suitable solution for food packaging. This is an eco-friendly alternative to cling film, which is not recyclable in any way.

Grown

Mycelium packaging, made from the root structure of mushrooms, is a sustainable alternative to traditional packaging materials like polystyrene. It’s a biodegradable and compostable material, offering a lower environmental impact than plastics. Grown has received recognition for their innovative use of mycelium in packaging, including winning the German Sustainability Award in 2023.

A closer look at Mycelium

Mycelium packaging is made from renewable resources (agricultural waste) and is completely biodegradable, breaking down naturally without harmful residues.

It has a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to plastic production, with some sources claiming up to 90% less carbon emissions.

Mycelium can be moulded into various shapes and sizes, making it suitable for a wide range of products, from electronics to perfume bottles.

It’s lightweight, water-resistant, and offers good shock absorption, making it a practical and protective packaging solution.

While initial costs may be higher, the long-term benefits and potential for cost savings through reduced waste and compliance with environmental regulations are significant.

Consumers are increasingly seeking sustainable products, and mycelium packaging allows companies to showcase their commitment to environmental responsibility.

A Global problem needing a global solution

Plastic is a global problem, and it demands a global solution. The world can adapt to reduce and even eliminate plastic pollution, and this needs to be driven by collaboration between governments, businesses, and consumers. All three have vital roles to play in this journey to sustainable packaging. Large producers and consumers of plastics should not wait for international standards to be set, but instead actively innovate and rethink the way plastic is used.

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)

Every business and product / service is unique. The scope of an LCA also varies, it could include the entire operation or simply be an assessment of one product or service.

We can help you:

Collect data from suppliers, crafting supplier data requests and ensuring you receive the information you need.
Create a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI), this can be the most complex part of a Life Cycle Analysis, if the scope of the assessment is large.
Develop metrics and a deep understanding of your supply chain, showing you where there is high risk and where the negative impacts are within the life cycle.
Provide recommendations to help you to continually improve your supply chain.

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

16 June 2025

Defining Sustainability in Business

Defining Sustainability in business and why measuring it is important.

What is the definition of Sustainability?

Sustainability is defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainability has become an important topic in business with most organisations keen to be more sustainable and to be seen to be more sustainable.

Benefits of Measuring Sustainability

Measuring sustainability performance gives businesses clear insights into their impact and helps drive meaningful progress. Here are some key benefits:

Enhanced accountability – Regular assessment ensures a company stays on track with its sustainability commitments, building trust with stakeholders and preventing greenwashing.
Regulatory compliance – Many industries face increasing environmental regulations, and tracking sustainability metrics helps companies stay compliant and avoid fines.
Operational efficiency – Data-driven sustainability strategies uncover opportunities to reduce waste, optimise energy use, and cut costs without compromising performance.
Competitive advantage – Companies with strong sustainability performance often stand out in the market, attracting investors, partners, and customers who prioritise ethical business practices.
Innovation and growth – Measuring impact encourages businesses to adopt cleaner technologies and sustainable solutions, driving innovation and long-term success.
Talent retention and attraction – Employees increasingly seek workplaces committed to sustainability, and transparent performance measurement fosters a positive, purpose-driven company culture.

A Tailored Approach to Sustainability

Thousands of organisations have embraced sustainability strategies as both a means of enhancing productivity, and as a powerful driver of competitive advantage.

At its core, organisational sustainability is rooted in longevity and the preservation of fundamental principles and purpose. However, sustainability is not a one-size-fits-all concept. For each organisation, the definition and execution of sustainable practices will vary. The key lies in developing a strategy that is both relevant and impactful. By addressing environmental, social, and ethical challenges effectively whilst aligning with the organisation’s core values.

Why Sustainability is important

Sustainability is important for the planet because it helps maintain the delicate balance of ecosystems, ensuring that future generations inherit a liveable world. Here’s why it matters:

Environmental protection: Sustainable practices reduce pollution, conserve natural resources, and protect biodiversity, keeping ecosystems healthy.
Climate stability: Cutting carbon emissions and using renewable energy sources helps to mitigate climate change, reducing extreme weather events and global warming.
Resource conservation: The planet has finite resources, and sustainable practices ensures we don’t exhaust essentials like clean water, fertile soil, and forests.
Healthy communities: Clean air, water, and food sources contribute to human well-being, preventing health crises linked to pollution and environmental degradation.
Wildlife preservation: Many species are endangered due to habitat destruction. Sustainable production helps protect habitats and ensure biodiversity thrives.

By making sustainable choices, we help keep the planet liveable for all life forms.

Sustainability Throughout the Supply Chain

The social dimension of sustainability is just as vital as environmental and economic factors. Businesses play a crucial role in safeguarding the well-being of people and communities across their supply chain. Businesses need to ensure fair treatment, ethical labour practices, and equitable opportunities.

Beyond preventing exploitation, companies can actively contribute to positive change by designing products and services that foster social good throughout their lifecycle. Whether by enhancing accessibility, promoting ethical sourcing, or supporting community development. A truly sustainable business both reduces harm and strives to create lasting benefits for society.

Sustainability in different sectors

Defence Industry

Sustainability is an ever-growing priority within the defence sector, shaping procurement strategies and operational frameworks. The UK armed forces must ensure that ethical and environmental considerations are embedded at every stage of equipment acquisition and deployment.

With commitments to Net Zero now firmly integrated into procurement strategies, the defence industry is taking decisive steps toward sustainability. By prioritising sustainable practices, the sector is both reducing its environmental footprint and enhancing resilience, operational efficiency, and long-term effectiveness. This ensures that defence capabilities align with the evolving demands of a sustainable future.

Manufacturing Industry

Sustainability is a critical priority within the industrial manufacturing sector, given its inherently energy- and resource-intensive nature. Businesses can address this challenge by developing resource-efficient infrastructure and technologies, alongside optimising processes that drive a shift toward a more circular economy.

Consumer facing industries

Consumer-focussed industries face distinct challenges. Brand perception and stakeholder engagement are key. Sustainability efforts must be transparent and communicated effectively to build trust and credibility. It’s important for all businesses that their sustainability efforts are meaningful and avoid green-washing.

Considering the end-of-life impact of products is a crucial concern, requiring businesses to implement responsible disposal and recycling solutions that mitigate environmental harm and reinforce long-term sustainability commitments.

How to measure sustainability

There are lots of potential Key Performance Indicators when it comes to measuring sustainability in your organisation. Here are some of the most important ones to consider:

Carbon Footprint
Energy Consumption
Product Recycling Rate
Supplier Environmental Sustainability Index
Supply Chain Miles
Water Footprint
Waste Reduction Rate
Waste Recycling Rate
Social Impact

Examples of sustainability KPIs

Supply Chain Miles

Measures the total distance goods travel from production to final delivery. This metric helps businesses assess their carbon footprint, logistics efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

Total Distance Travelled – Tracks the miles covered by shipments across the supply chain.
Emissions per Mile – Measures the carbon footprint associated with transportation.
Fuel Efficiency – Evaluates fuel consumption relative to distance travelled.
Percentage of Local Sourcing – Assesses how much of the supply chain relies on nearby suppliers to reduce transport miles.
Cost per Mile – Helps businesses optimise transportation expenses.

Energy Consumption

This KPI evaluates a company’s total energy use, both in terms of absolute consumption and efficiency improvements.

Businesses monitor renewable vs. non-renewable energy sources used in operations.
Tracking energy intensity (energy used per unit of output) helps measure efficiency gains over time.
Implementation of smart meters, IoT sensors, and AI-driven analytics allows for real-time monitoring and optimisation of energy use.

Water Usage

Water consumption is monitored to ensure responsible usage, conservation, and reduction of waste.

Companies measure total water withdrawal, use in production processes, and wastewater discharge.
Tracking water recycling rates and improvements in water efficiency helps reduce strain on natural resources.
Certifications such as Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) help businesses align with global best practices.

Waste Reduction & Recycling Rates

Businesses assess how effectively they manage waste, ensuring materials are reused, recycled, or responsibly disposed of.

Tracking percentage of waste diverted from landfill versus total waste produced.
Monitoring product lifecycle impact, focusing on materials used, recyclability, and end-of-life waste management.
Initiatives such as zero-waste policies, closed-loop production, and circular economy models help companies minimise waste footprint.

The communication of KPIs is vital to strong sustainability strategy. The use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting or Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting are the most common ways for organisations to communicate their sustainability performance to relevant stakeholders and investors.

Tracking sustainability is about continuous improvement and adapting to the evolving business landscape.

When sustainability strategy is integrated and communicated well, there are tangible benefits for your organisation, customers, stakeholders and the environment. Cala Sustain can help you with:

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

30 May 2025

Cala Sustain Shortlisted for MCA Awards

Cala Sustain is delighted to have been shortlisted for an MCA Award for our work Driving Carbon Reduction in UK Defence Equipment.

The MCA Awards, hosted by the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), celebrate excellence in management consulting across the UK. The awards recognise the transformative impact of consulting firms and individuals who drive innovation, business growth, and positive societal change.

In Partnership with Aurora

As a proud member of the Aurora Engineering Partnership’s Provider Network, Cala Sustain is playing a key role in supporting Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) in its mission to understand and reduce the carbon footprint of defence equipment and support solutions. Collaborating with QinetiQ, AtkinsRealis and BMT, Cala Sustain is providing overall technical and team leadership, multi-disciplinary expertise and deep knowledge of sustainability and defence to ensure that UK Defence is prepared for an energy-transitioned world.

Lieutenant General Richard Nugee’s landmark 2021 Climate Change and Sustainability Strategic Approach Review made it clear: climate change is “firmly a Defence Problem.” At Cala Sustain, we recognise that lowering emissions is about both environmental responsibility and enhancing operational effectiveness. Greener equipment means improved performance, reduced reliance on fossil fuels and greater resilience in challenging conditions.

Groundbreaking initiative to decarbonise UK defence equipment

Our partnership is actively supporting the DE&S Environmental Authority in the development of the groundbreaking Whole-Life Equipment Emissions Management Framework. This innovative tool empowers project teams to forecast emissions at every stage of a project’s lifecycle – one of the first frameworks of its kind globally.

Working alongside the MoD Environmental Authority and sustainability leads from the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force, Cala Sustain is ensuring that emissions forecasting is both accurate and actionable.

At early lifecycle stages, estimates are informed by weight, material composition, and conversion factors. As projects advance through design, development, and manufacturing, real-world data from the supply chain refines these forecasts – culminating in validated in-service energy efficiency predictions. At the end-of-life stage, we advocate for circular economy principles such as re-use, re-purpose, and recycle.

Ultimately, understanding the full carbon footprint of defence equipment is only the beginning. The true impact lies in leveraging this knowledge to influence procurement decisions and through-life support strategies. Cala Sustain is committed to integrating carbon considerations into acquisition policies, ensuring sustainability becomes a core pillar of defence planning.

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

20 May 2025

From Apathy to Action: Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Decarbonisation

In the journey toward decarbonisation, organisations face a diverse array of stakeholder opinions that can significantly influence strategy. Different stakeholders – ranging from employees to investors to customers – often hold varying views on the urgency and importance of decarbonisation. While some may see it as a critical business imperative, others might perceive it as a costly distraction or an unachievable goal.

Challenges to Opportunities

The diversity of thought amongst your stakeholders is an opportunity to unlock strategic growth.

When we engage with the challenges stakeholders have it enables us to assess potential strategies from multiple perspectives. This often raises opportunities – in response to the challenges – that may have gone unnoticed.

When we delve into stakeholder specific concerns and beliefs, we can tailor our decarbonisation strategies to speak to and address wider needs.

We find that because stakeholder concerns are often rooted in business challenges, they also help to integrate decarbonisation with wider business imperatives.

Unlocking strategic opportunities in decarbonisastion

Identifying Who Your Stakeholders Are

It is vital to identify all the relevant stakeholder groups. These groups will vary, depending on what your organisation does.

The groups will often include:

Employees from all areas of the organisation
Executive Team
Customers / Consumers
Suppliers
Partner organisations
Government bodies
Businesses, communities
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

This cross section of views is important because an employee’s concerns may centre on how sustainability initiatives impact their day-to-day work. Whereas customers concerns may be around whether it will increase the price or impact the quality of the product.

Engaging your Stakeholders

Gathering views from different stakeholders effectively, requires building trust and using appropriate methods of engagement. Some of the following methods can be useful in information gathering:

Conduct Surveys and Polls: These are efficient for collecting quantitative and qualitative feedback. Tailor the questions to address your specific stakeholder groups.
Host Focus Groups: Smaller, interactive sessions allow stakeholders to share insights and discuss issues openly. This format is particularly useful for diving deeper into specific topics.
Organise Public Forums or Workshops: Larger events provide a space for diverse groups to express their views, hear the views of others and exchange ideas.
One-on-One Interviews: For key stakeholders, individual conversations help to foster trust and get a more detailed, nuanced perspective.

It can be beneficial to leverage online platforms such as webinars, virtual town halls, or social media polls to engage stakeholders who may prefer digital interaction. It’s possible to engage a broader audience this way.

It’s worth considering whether you can offer people the opportunity to feedback anonymously. This can give stakeholders greater confidence to express themselves freely. You may hear from people and get information you otherwise wouldn’t in an open forum.

Once you have gathered the stakeholder feedback it is important to follow up with people and keep them in the loop as the project progresses. This demonstrates that their views were valued and acted upon.

Complex Value Chains

Cala Sustain’s work to help the Ministry of Defence reduce carbon emissions from their equipment is a great example of diverse stakeholder groups. This project involved significant engagement along the length of the value chain. We discovered that each stakeholder group within each organisation had varying opinions on what would prevent decarbonisation.

Understanding this enabled Cala Sustain to develop strategies to unlock value in areas including:

Carbon benchmarking
Supply chain efficiency
Collaborative ways of working
Process efficiencies
Operational needs
Cost saving opportunities.

Cala Sustain created bespoke communications for each stakeholder group. This enabled us to acknowledge their challenges and present a compelling argument for how we would turn those challenges into opportunities.

Inclusive Approach

This inclusive approach improves both buy-in and increases the likelihood of achieving decarbonisation goals through linking them to tangible business opportunities. Decarbonisation as a growth lever is a more compelling strategy than decarbonisation as a cost.

In summary:

Listen
Understand
Diversify thinking
Integrate decarbonisation with business-critical issues
Personalise your strategies
Personalise your stakeholder engagement

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

2 May 2025

Why your carbon reduction initiative needs cultural and behavioural change to succeed

The human factor in decarbonisation

Organisational change programs frequently focus on new technologies, policies, or infrastructure. This focus can neglect the cultural and behavioural shifts essential for lasting success. When sustainability is embedded into the routines and mindsets of employees, even the boldest decarbonisation initiatives will succeed.

To drive genuine change, organisations must address behaviour at every level and make decarbonisation a tangible, routine and rewarded aspect of daily work. Achieving real and lasting impact requires following four golden rules for changing human behaviour:

1. Make it real

Decarbonisation goals are easy to agree on in boardrooms but challenging to implement in break rooms. Success requires translating policies into actionable tasks. For example:

Devolve sustainability targets along the same boundary lines as existing financial budgets to ensure accountability.
Provide tools that help employees make low-carbon decisions through carbon accounting platforms designed to work in the organisational context.
Focus efforts on impactful areas—prioritising large emissions reductions over symbolic but minor actions.
When employees see how sustainability can integrate with their role and their existing practices, they are more likely to adopt and champion it.

2. Embed it in routine

Humans thrive on routine, so sustainability must become an organisational habit. Focus on embedding decarbonisation into key workflows and decision gates.

Our work redesigning Defence procurement to embed sustainability is a good example. We identified that Defence equipment has thousands of processes it must go through across its lifecycle from idea to disposal. However, there are a few key decision gates that can be targeted to have the greatest impact. This, leads to significant sustainability gains.

3. Reinforce and reward

It is essential to create an environment that supports and celebrates sustainable behaviours. Start by identifying barriers that might hinder sustainable practices.

Ensure workflows are optimised to reduce waste and energy use.
Ensure tools are available to enable sustainable behaviours, such as remote work and virtual meetings instead of frequent travel.
Celebrate the small wins to build momentum. Highlight achievements like departmental carbon reductions or individual initiatives.

In a recent consulting engagement, we found that an awards ceremony where the prizes were branded mugs identifying the owner as a ‘green champion’ created a real culture of kudos amongst the team. If the reward is visible and linked clearly to the decarbonisation goal, then the organisation can reward and reinforce appropriate behaviours.

4. Align with wider operations

Sustainability goals must align with broader organisational priorities and they must be integrated into the systems, processes and ways of working of wider operations.

Take a systematic top-down look at workflows, decision-making frameworks and organisational structures to ensure that the whole organisation is aligned to the decarbonisation outcome.
Start with the leadership team – get leaders to truly commit to the decarbonisation programme and its implications, and then model and communicate that to the wider organisation.

When sustainability becomes a shared enterprise priority, it transitions from rhetoric to reality.

Creating Cultural and Behavioural Change to achieve sustainability

Lasting impact

Carbon reduction efforts will only thrive alongside cultural and behavioural transformation. By embedding decarbonisation into everyday practices and fostering a culture of sustainability, organisations can achieve enduring success.

This requires determination, focus, and systematic integration – but the rewards, both for the planet and the organisation, make it a vital pursuit. Sustainability is more than a goal; it’s a way of working, thinking, and thriving, and like your new year resolutions, it needs focus and determination to truly land into organisational habit.

Check out our groundbreaking initiative to decarbonise UK defence equipment. We are helping the Ministry of Defence (MoD) achieve its Net Zero commitments.

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

8 April 2025

Why it’s vital to integrate Carbon Reduction Solutions into your Business

In order to achieve meaningful reductions in carbon emissions, businesses must assess their carbon footprint.
Carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both direct and indirect, produced by an organisation.

Assessing Your Carbon Footprint

Conduct a Carbon Audit

The best place to start is by conducting a carbon audit. This involves analysing your organisation’s data to identify the sources of GHG emissions.

Define the Scope and Boundaries of the Audit

Determine the organisation’s activities: Identify which activities and processes will be included in the audit, e.g. energy consumption, transportation, waste, and supply chain activities.
Consider the three scopes of emissions:
- Scope 1: Direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organisation. For example, Emissions from company-owned vehicles, Emissions released during industrial processes and on-site manufacturing or emissions from agricultural activities, such as livestock farming
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling.
- Scope 3: All other indirect emissions that occur in the organisation’s value chain (e.g., upstream and downstream transportation, waste disposal, employee commuting).

Establish emissions boundaries: Decide which emissions sources will be included (e.g. direct emissions from operations, indirect emissions from purchased electricity, and emissions from the supply chain).

Calculate emissions

Once you have gathered data on fuel consumption, energy usage, transportation activities, and supply chain emissions, you can calculate the emissions. There are standards and software tools for GHG accounting, which can automate much of the calculation process.

It is important to verify the accuracy and completeness of the data to ensure reliable results.

Calculate the Carbon Footprint

Once you have verified the data you convert it to CO2 equivalent. Use appropriate conversion factors to convert emissions data into carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e).

Analyse Results and Report Findings

Identify the major sources of emissions and areas where improvements can be made.

Cala Sustain can help you to quantify, analyse and report your carbon footprint, whether that is direct emissions (Scope 1) or indirect emissions (Scope 2 &3). We help you navigate the complexity of emission accounting. Our audits reveal insights such as:

emissions drivers
emissions by facility or region
year-on-year trends
develop recommendations

Once you have analysed the data you can identify areas for improvements and provide recommendations for reducing emissions. Once implement this will improve your sustainability performance.

Report on the findings

Companies, LLPs and groups that exceed at least two of the following three thresholds in the preceding year will have to report on their carbon footprint:

£36m annual turnover
£18m balance sheet total
250 employees

The report needs to include: the audit findings, the carbon footprint calculations, analysis, and recommendations. It is important to share the report with relevant stakeholders, such as management, employees, and customers.

Carbon Reduction Plans

Based on the audit findings, develop and implement a plan to reduce emissions.

Carbon Reduction Plans (CRP) detail an organisation’s approach to reducing emissions. These plans help businesses and stakeholders understand the impact their operation has on the environment. Analysing your carbon footprint helps to identify opportunities to reduce emissions and develop a clear carbon reduction plan.

A critical step in the carbon reduction process is engaging senior leadership to identify priority areas for action and align carbon reduction goals with broader business objectives.

The success of carbon reduction initiatives depends on integrating them seamlessly into existing business processes. They must be aligned with operational goals to minimise disruption.

For example, sustainability can be embedded into procurement by using tender criteria or supplier contracts and operational improvements like installing solar panels or EV charging stations. When carbon reduction measures are treated as integral to the business, they are more likely to receive the investment, visibility, and support needed to succeed.

Reducing your company’s carbon footprint is an opportunity to improve the company’s triple bottom line—people, planet, and profit.

Monitor Progress And Conduct Periodic Audits

Once your carbon reduction plan is implemented it is important to monitor the organisation’s emissions to track progress toward reduction targets.

It is worth repeating the carbon audit process periodically to assess your progress and identify new opportunities for improvement.

The Benefits Of A Sustainable Approach

The benefits of embedded sustainability are well documented. They include increased operational efficiencies, innovation, and enhanced brand reputation, which can attract customers, investors, and talent.

Proactively addressing carbon emissions also mitigates risks such as tightening regulations and fluctuating energy costs, ensuring long-term business resilience and competitiveness.

Integrating carbon reduction solutions is a strategic move that delivers measurable benefits for the environment, society, and the business itself.

Cala Sustain can help you Scope your 1,2 &3 Carbon Emissions and create a Carbon Reduction Plan.

25 March 2025

Integrating Sustainability Is Key

Sustainability is a crucial consideration for organisations of all shapes and sizes.

This benefits of embedding sustainability in an organisation are well documented. They include cost efficiencies, reduced cost of capital and greater access to customers and markets. Companies with ESG embedded into their organisation outperform their non-ESG counterparts.

Many companies still struggle to shift from setting sustainability ambitions into driving tangible actions. A recent report revealed that the average target net-zero date for FTSE250 companies had been delayed by 13 months, with like-for-like emissions increasing compared with the previous year.

The Sustainability Paradox

So why don’t the financial incentives of sustainability drive meaningful action?

An important factor is how Sustainability (as a discipline) is established within an organisation.

The table below demonstrates this by comparing Sustainability to Finance as a function within an organisation.

Aspect	Finance	Sustainability
Maturity	Well-established discipline in most organisations	Often not an established discipline; typically managed by a small team or an individual
Accountabilities	Clear hierarchies and accountabilities	Variable and often incomplete; e.g. only 37% have a board member responsible for sustainability
Position in Business Model	Embedded alongside other core functions	Often siloed from other core functions
Engagement from other business functions	Integrated into many roles through budgeting, cost control, and profit-driving responsibilities	Non-sustainability roles typically don’t have sustainability responsibilities or activities

The Solution: An Integrated Business Model Approach

To bridge this gap, organisations should adopt an integrated business model approach to sustainability. This approach transforms sustainability from a siloed, specialist subject into a lever that enhances the organisation’s overall operations. Key features of an integrated business model include:

Understanding organisation wide of the importance of sustainability
Clear sustainability accountabilities at all levels of the organisation
Inclusion of sustainability considerations in decision making by default
An intentional “tilt” in the organisation’s products/services roadmap towards sustainability
Organisation-wide engagement and understanding of sustainability objectives
Alignment of policy and processes to sustainability integration
Staff measurement and remuneration linked to sustainability performance

Benefits of Integration

An integrated business model is more likely to drive action because:

When employees are measured on Sustainability within their role it incentivises them to act.
Insight into the impact of operating Sustainability on business performance can enhance business decision making
Cross-pollination between sustainability and non-sustainability activities helps identify risk and opportunities
Accountabilities can link to those who directly influence outcomes (e.g. procurement professionals influencing supply chain decisions)

Case Study: Ministry of Defence (MOD)

Cala Sustain helped our client the Ministry of Defence implement an integrated business model approach to Sustainability.

The UK Government has a legally binding target to become Net Zero by 2050. It has flowed this obligation to all Government Departments including the MOD.

Defence equipment conservatively accounts for 35% of all UK Government emissions. These are emissions from equipment, platforms and purchasing activities.

The MOD required support to create a carbon reduction plan for all of its activities from its +£200bn spend supply chain.

We worked with MOD to achieve an integrated business model by:

Building solutions that added value to operational staff beyond carbon reduction
Integrating processes that provide significant time savings compared to a siloed approach
Engaging stakeholders to discover and leverage ways to improve ROI from carbon data

We provided a clear set of recommendations along with a roadmap of activities that will enable sustainability to become integral to defence acquisition. Read the MOD Case Study »

By integrating sustainability in to their business model organisations can improve both their environmental and overall business performance.

Sources

https://www.kroll.com/en/about-us/news/kroll-study-shows-stronger-investment-returns-companies-high-esg-ratings
https://www.edenseven.co.uk/ftse250
https://www.edie.net/less-than-one-in-ten-uk-businesses-have-a-large-sustainability-team-survey-finds/
https://www.fmj.co.uk/over-two-thirds-of-ceos-view-sustainability-as-a-growth-opportunity/#:~:text=The%20survey%20found%20that%20the,decarbonisation%20(18%20per%20cent).

The Benefits Of A Sustainable Approach

Proactively addressing carbon emissions also mitigates risks such as tightening regulations and fluctuating energy costs, ensuring long-term business resilience and competitiveness.

Integrating carbon reduction solutions is a strategic move that delivers measurable benefits for the environment, society, and the business itself.

Cala Sustain can help you Scope your 1,2 &3 Carbon Emissions and create a Carbon Reduction Plan.

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

Second to None

We have collaborated successfully with the Cala Sustain team on a number of occasions. We have always found them to be knowledgeable, reliable, enthusiastic and very experienced.

In Defence, their understanding of environmental and sustainability policy and standards is second to none.

Marc Brule-Walker

Integrated Logistic Support Manager

Red Scientific

Always Add Value

The Cala Sustain team is trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Jerry Beeston

Facilities Manager

Nisbets Plc

We couldn’t have done it without you

I just wanted to thank you for all the support you gave us with the renewal of our Royal Warrant.

We all breathed a big sigh of relief when we found out that we had been successful, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Kate Gough

General Manager

Mitre Linen

Great people to do business with

Phil Harding

MBE

In depth Knowledge

Tommy Mason

QINETIQ

Great Partner to work with

Philip Duddell

Sustainable Procurement Limited

Would recommend them

Matt Roper

GREENBUYING

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Posts by :

Carbon Footprint

What is a Carbon Footprint?

Personal Carbon Footprint

Business Carbon Footprint

Measuring Carbon Footprint

Reducing Carbon Footprint

Reducing or offsetting emissions

Why companies should reduce their carbon footprint

Economic cost of not acting

Effective Climate Action

Scope 1,2,3 Emissions

Scope 1 Emissions

Scope 2 Emissions

Scope 3 Emissions

Reducing Scope 3 Emissions

The challenges in achieving net zero value chains

Tackling Scope 3 Emissions

The Benefits of decarbonisation

Cala Sustain can help you to Scope your 1,2,3 Emissions

Why Choose Cala Sustain?

Why Choose Cala Sustain?

Find out how we can help

How to integrate a circular economy into your business

Benefits of Circluar Economy

Using sustainable procurement

Product design

Packaging

Distribution

End of life

Examples of good practice of circular economy

Interfloor

Winnow

Teemill

Embracing circular economy

References

Why Choose Cala Sustain?

Why Choose Cala Sustain?

Second to None

Always Add Value

We couldn’t have done it without you

Great people to do business with

In depth Knowledge

Great Partner to work with

Would recommend them

Second to None

Always Add Value

We couldn’t have done it without you

Great people to do business with

In depth Knowledge

Great Partner to work with

Would recommend them

Find out how we can help

Circular Economy

What is the Circular Economy?

Key Principles of Circular Economy

Why do we need a circular economy?

Benefits of A Circular Economy

Environmental Benefits

Economic and commercial benefits

Social Benefits

Circular Economy Package

How to integrate a circular economy

Embracing circular economy

References

Why Choose Cala Sustain?

Why Choose Cala Sustain?

Second to None

Always Add Value

We couldn’t have done it without you

Great people to do business with

In depth Knowledge

Great Partner to work with

Would recommend them

Second to None

Always Add Value

We couldn’t have done it without you

Great people to do business with