Greenlight Computers Net Zero Journey
Minimising our carbon footprint by the way we operate.
Greenlight Computers Net Zero Journey
Minimising our carbon footprint by the way we operate.
One of the founding principles of Greenlight Computers was to minimise our carbon footprint by the way we operate.
The company was named Greenlight Computers in 2006 because when we stop working on computers, they are ready to go (Green Light) and we would build local teams to serve local client clusters across the UK minimising our travel (Reduce Carbon).
In 2024 we now operate in 5 locations across the UK using local people to deliver local services where possible, its hard to measure but we believe we are ahead of our goal to deliver 90% of our services online or within a 10 miles radius of where our staff are based.
Lots of agencies and government bodies have set up to track these things and go on great summits around the world but we believe the best way to get to Net Zero is just to do your best. If every business did this, we would exceed all targets. Nobody will be perfect, but we should celebrate progress and report on improvements for others to learn from.
Greenlight Computers Net Zero KPI’s
International
Partners
5
B Corp
Customers
3
Greenlight
UK Locations
5
Trees
Planted
200
Tonnes of
CO2 Offset
20
Greenlight Computers Net Zero KPI’s
International
Partners
5
B Corp
Customers
3
Greenlight
UK Locations
5
Trees
Planted
200
Tonnes of
CO2 Offset
20
Greenlight Computers Net Zero actions so far
The Greenlight Computers team have taken carbon footprint reduction “to heart” over the last decade, we have a young team, and they bring action ideas to the team regularly.
Some of the actions Greenlight Computers have taken include:
Funding a cycle to work scheme
Greenlight Computers COO John Sewell has been a keen cyclist for many years and encourages staff to leave the car behind and use public transport or cycle wherever possible. John himself has used the scheme several times to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce his carbon footprint.
Move to Hybrid working
Greenlight Computers believes in the importance of regularly coming in to the office for people’s mental wellbeing, communication and human interaction is essential to maintaining a happy workforce. Working as teams, building relationships both business and pleasure often start from meetings in the office.
Hybrid working has always been part of the Greenlight Computers operational model to give staff a positive work life balance. Most staff treat this the way its meant and work with the same enthusiasm from home or office and everyone benefits from the reduced carbon footprint of less travel.
Reduce Printing
In 2006 when Greenlight Computers started every office had a busy printer churning away, that’s no longer the case.
With a highly technical workforce our need to print has reduced significantly and most days printers stay silent but are there in case they are needed. We don’t believe in the extreme of the paperless office as it has a detrimental effect on productivity in some areas and staring at a screen all day has its own negative impacts.
Keeping printing to a minimum is the best and most balanced approach and Greenlight Computers way of working.
Move to locations with a similar environmental ethos
All of the UK Science Parks where Greenlight Computers are based have a documented environmental policy that drives down their carbon footprint and that of the tenants on campus.
Greenlight Computers contributes to workshops and net zero action plans to play our part on campus, motion censored lights are common, new building with renewable energy are key to the new developments at Sci-tech Daresbury and Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst as examples.
Greenlight Computers will continue to expand with new local satellite offices in key UK science parks to ensure we operate from the lowest carbon footprint we can.
Partner with non-UK businesses to avoid travel
Greenlight Computers has become the UK partner for several USA & European IT companies to avoid them travelling to the UK. We have been nominated for export awards for stopping the need for flights to come and service IT equipment in the UK.
Ynvolve a Netherlands based IT services company use Greenlight Computers for most of their UK projects for deploying or demising IT hardware around the UK.
Mainspring a USA based group use Greenlight Computers to support the IT of their Manchester based subsidiary.
We hope this becomes a growing trend as Greenlight also uses partners to deliver locally in Europe, USA and Asia in reverse.
Partner with global vendors who commit to Net Zero
Greenlight Computers punches above its weight with some of our vendor relationships and we look for partners who can demonstrate their commitment to Net Zero. Some examples include:
We will continue to search out the best partners for IT solutions and look for their commitment to Net Zero as a key factor in promoting and selling their products.
Partner with global vendors to offer extended warranties
Greenlight Computers identifies and sells computer hardware with extended warranties. Short sighted IT companies want to sell computers with 1 year manufacturer warranty, so they get to resell regularly for commercial gain. Greenlight Computers is bucking the trend and searching out computers with the option of 5 year warranty to extend the life of each computer and minimise landfill in the future.
Many of our clients have ESG Net Zero targets of their own and extending the life of their computers is a very positive contribution. By procuring a high specification laptop with a 5 year warranty the client is also saving money on a year on year basis, moving their refresh policy from typically 3 years to 5 years.
Every laptop quote since 2023 is going to clients with the option of a 5 year warranty and encouragingly 75% of clients are taking the option.
In 2024 we have also agreed to carbon offset each laptop procured with a 5 year warranty by planting 25 trees in the Greenlight Computers forest garden with PlayitGreen.
Greenlight Computers Carbon Offset goal
In April 2024 Greenlight Computers signed up to a partnership with environmental consultancy PlayitGreen based in Manchester. The initial goal of the partnership is for Greenlight Computers to plant 10,000 trees.
10,000 trees, sounds like a huge number, but if we achieve the goal, we can be confident that combined with all of our other actions we are probably exceeding our Net Zero commitments.
- We will plant trees every time a client buys a computer with extended warranty.
- We will plant trees every time a person attends an MBH event (sponsored by Greenlight Computers).
- We will plant trees every month a member of staff has zero sick days.
- We will plant trees every time we buy new paper for the printers.
These are just some of the examples of how we will go for Greenlight Computers goal of 10,000 trees.
Associated Net Zero Achievements
In addition to our own actions Greenlight Computers is committed to working with others and recognising Net Zero action.
MBH Carbon Heroes awards sponsored by Greenlight Computers
Since the start of its journey Greenlight Computers has been the main sponsor of the Mpostcode Business Hub (MBH).
MBH is building a community of Manchester and Greater Manchester businesses (i.e. with an Mpostcode) who wish to increase their trade locally and become more visible to their business neighbours. MBH is now well over the initial target of 1,000 businesses and runs some excellent networking events each month.
To celebrate businesses in the community taking positive action to reduce their carbon footprint in 2019 MBH & Greenlight Computers started awarding a Manchester Carbon Heroes award to any business that could demonstrate a big step forward in the Net Zero journey. The MBH continue to award Carbon Hero certificates and each company gaining them gets 1,000’s of social media views on the MBH LinkedIn page from the associated news story. It’s been a great source of new business leads for the businesses locally and long may it continue.
Looking for the next project
If you have a project in mind with a carbon saving goal, please approach Greenlight Computers for help. We have been working on this a long time and will share what we know happily.
