This year, the climate movement has taken the world by storm. It all began with the Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, who went on ‘School Strike for Climate’ in August 2018. Ever since, swathes of young people have been saying goodbye to their lessons once a month and heading out onto the streets to protest about climate change and the disinterest from many governments when it comes to protecting the environment.

And it’s not just young people who are finally telling the government that they’ve had enough. Many people are joining groups like Extinction Rebellion, and also taking to the streets to fight for the planet’s future. Surely, there is no time quite like the present for businesses and individuals alike to reassess their impact on the environment, and what they can do to shape a better future for everybody (and everything).

However, if you’re a business owner then it’s difficult to know which steps to take to make your carbon footprint less significant (or non-existent if you can). Whilst we all want to do our bit to help the environment, you still need to make sure that you’re providing first-class services or products to your customers without compromising on quality. Striking the perfect balance between these things is key to a green and successful future.

But how do you do it? We’ve put together some of the best ideas here for those climate-conscious entrepreneurs.

Don’t be afraid to try new things

If you want to make a (positive) impact on the environment then you can’t be afraid of implementing new, innovative ideas in your business. Let’s be honest here, most of us can see that our old habits and ways of working just aren’t good enough anymore, and the only way for us to change this is to open our minds up to something new. Think about the ways in which you can change the practices in your business, and experiment!

Consider new tech advances

One of the ways in which you can throw out the old and embrace the new is by trying out the modern tech that is out there on the market. For example, there are plenty of initiatives now that recycle the water used in your business (such as the water used for handwashing) and re-use it for flushing toilets and maintaining the grounds outside. Water wastage is a huge environmental issue and one that should be considered if you want to go green.

Don’t print out documents

Though many of us are already saying goodbye to our printers, there are still those who are clinging onto the past as tightly as they can. In 2019, there are very few excuses for printing out documents, especially as everything is stored in the Cloud instead of being shoved away into filing cabinets. Corporate legal software Legal Files is another alternative to the Cloud for those who want to keep all of their data in one place, without the need for a printer.