For a small business that lacks a sustainability department, calculating the company’s environmental footprint can be a daunting process. In a bid to offer a solution, a new website aims to help small office-based businesses and retail stores calculate their carbon footprint quickly and easily.
The startup behind the website is called Green Places. CEO Alex Lassiter got the idea to create the platform after having noticed from his own experience with small businesses that there was a need for a simpler way to calculate emissions data.
To provide the carbon footprint estimate, the tool asks a few simple questions, such as the location and type of business, the size of the office or store, the company’s transportation habits, and the number of employees. It then uses detailed data from the University of California Berkeley’s CoolClimate Project to estimate emissions in less than one minute.
After calculating their carbon footprint, companies have the option to buy carbon offsets, such as supporting reforestation projects. By design, the company is only targeting businesses that have a fairly minimal footprint.
In addition to the tool, Green Places also offers sustainability consulting services, providing companies with suggestions about ways to reduce emissions. These include employee rideshare programs, hybrid remote work programs, and composting in the office kitchen.
