Cleaning firm takes climate action, one step at a time
Many small businesses feel overwhelmed at the prospect of investing in costly infrastructure changes to reach net zero.
At Climate Springboard we focus on shorter-term, preparatory steps that can help businesses get started and see cost-savings before moving onto the bigger changes. This is exactly what one Aberdeen-based business has done.
CSG Clean has been delivering professional cleaning for offices and commercial premises for over 40 years. From their base in Aberdeen, they serve the whole of the UK.
Finance director Laura Sutherland joined Climate Springboard, ECCI's free net-zero programme, in 2022.
“We don’t have endless resources or money, so to have that support to help us get on the road to net zero has been brilliant.” Laura Sutherland
For several years the company has been working to reduce fuel consumption. For example:
- A minibus pick-up and drop-off service for cleaning staff working at the same location to minimise the number of vehicles on the road.
- Scheduling customer visits to minimise the distance travelled between locations.
- Training staff on fuel-efficient driving and weekly vehicle maintenance checks to ensure their fleet is running efficiently.
After shrinking the carbon footprint of their fleet of 21 vehicles as far as possible through reduction and efficiency efforts, they are now introducing electric vehicles (EVs).
They are starting with forklifts, cars and smaller vans – currently the easiest types to switch – with a goal to grow the share of EVs over time as technology improves and costs fall.
For now, they are only renewing leases for EVs. When one of their current vehicles reaches the end of its lease, it will be swapped for a battery-powered version. Their 7.5-tonne lorry will have to wait until a model capable of longer distances becomes available. The company has installed electric charging points at their office and intend to add more as their fleet grows.
In the last year, EVs were used for over 28,500 business miles – data that is now easier than ever to collect, thanks to a built-in app in each vehicle that automatically sends the mileage to their finance director.
The company has saved over £5,000 on fuel since introducing EVs in October 2023, while carbon emissions from the fleet fell 25% between 2022 and 2023. Encouraged by this early progress, the team are excited to keep expanding their fossil-free fleet.
Top tips from CSG Clean
- 📋Create a plan. Focus on what is realistic and achievable within the time frame and resources you have available. (Climate Springboard can support you to do this!)
- 🌱Make sure climate action stays a priority in your organisation by including it in all regular staff and board meetings.
- 📱Take inspiration from Gen Z: Make your training and awareness campaigns fun and interactive.