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Webnames seeks sustainable options across their operations—and beyond
Project Type
Climate Smart Certification
Location
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Actions Implemented
- Engaged and educated landlord
- Engaged and educated clientbase
- Reduced paper use
- Reduced organic waste
18%
overall reduction in emissions
30%
reduction in paper emissions
33%
reduction in waste
The Big Picture
Climate Smart Service
Climate Smart Certification, 2016 — 2020
Industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Location
Vancouver, BC, Canada
About Webnames Inc.
Webnames Inc. is Canada’s original domain registrar and a one-stop convenience for the online needs of individuals, small businesses, non-profit organizations and corporations. Canadian-owned and operated since 2000, Webnames.ca’s services include domain names, corporate domain management, hosting, business email and more. Webnames.ca differentiates itself from competition by providing exceptional, high-touch, bilingual customer support, acting as an “ally on the web” to all its customers.
The Challenge
In 2016, Webnames.ca began working with Climate Smart to measure, understand, and reduce its carbon footprint. As a small, office-based business, Webnames.ca quickly realized its biggest sources of emissions were business travel, garbage and paper. Not to be daunted by a challenge, the Webnames.ca team got to work tackling all emissions areas.
Paper Use
Webnames.ca is diligent in reducing paper use in the office. Clients are given every opportunity to opt out of receiving paper mail-outs, and return-to-sender mail addresses are removed from circulation immediately. In 2017, Webnames.ca switched to 100% Sugar Sheet paper, which is roughly equivalent to 100% recycled in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and has the added benefit of being made out of a waste product. Webnames.ca also reuses single-sided paper for printing to ensure there is very little waste. These strategies have led to a 30% reduction in emissions from paper.
Tenant-landlord relations
As a tenant in a large building, Webnames.ca doesn’t have direct control over its occupied office space. Nonetheless, Webnames.ca has kept its landlord informed about its environmental programs and has helped to influence building decisions that have resulted in GHG reductions for the whole building. Webnames.ca has worked with the landlord to implement better recycling and organics collection. For Webnames.ca, this has led to a 33% reduction in emissions from garbage.
"Being a Climate Smart business means that we question every decision we make in that light: is this the most sustainable option? It completely reframes your thinking when you can see the measurable results of your decisions and know that you can influence them through the choices you make as a business."
JUDITH TRACEY - Webnames.ca Team Member
How they did it
- Switched to 100% Sugar Sheet paper
- Reused single-sided paper for printing
- Encouraged clients to opt out of receiving paper mail-outs
- Engaged and educated landlord to accelerate organics and paper recycling for entire building
What's next for Webnames.ca
To date, Webnames.ca has reduced its footprint by an impressive 18% since its baseline year and continues to look for new ways to reduce. Webnames is committed to year-over-year carbon footprinting, analyzing its GHG inventory every year and revisiting its carbon reduction strategies on an ongoing basis.