Earth Day is a moment to pause and reflect, but for us at Fortus, it is also a reminder to keep moving forward.
Across Yorkshire, we work with ambitious SME business owners every day. You are focused on growth, performance and building something that lasts. Increasingly, that also means thinking about sustainability in a practical, measurable way. Not as a tick-box exercise, but as part of how your business operates and grows.
This year, we are marking Earth Day by sharing where we are on that journey, and how we are helping our clients take their own meaningful first steps.
Building on our carbon neutral status
We are proud to have achieved carbon neutral status through an accredited offsetting programme. That is an important milestone, but not the end goal.
Offsetting plays a role, but real progress comes from reducing emissions at source and embedding better practices into day-to-day operations. For us, this is about accountability as much as achievement. It is about recognising where we are today, and where we need to go next.
Moving beyond statements to real accountability
We know that sustainability is merely a concept unless its backed by genuine action and effort.
That is why we are currently undergoing a full sustainability review across the business. This includes:
- Undertaking the necessary steps to be able to report on our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions
- Building a clear, accurate picture of our environmental impact
- Developing meaningful sustainability policies with defined commitments and measurable outcomes
We are focused on creating policies that stand up to scrutiny, not broad statements that sound good but lack substance. It is a more lengthy approach, but it is the only way to create lasting change.
Supporting Yorkshire SMEs to grow greener
We know that many SME owners want to take action but are unsure where to start.
That is exactly why we have developed our Sustainability capability, including our Sustainability Starter Assessments. These are designed specifically for SMEs who are ready to take meaningful first steps but need clarity and structure.
Our approach is simple, we:
- Understand where your business is today
- Identify practical, achievable improvements
- Build a roadmap that supports both sustainability and growth
Because sustainability shouldn’t sit separately from your business strategy. When done properly, it strengthens performance, reduces risk and creates long-term value.
As a firm that brings together the likes of accounting, tax, and business financing, we are in a strong position to connect sustainability with the wider commercial picture. It is not just about compliance, it is about helping businesses grow smarter and more sustainably.
Creating a culture of everyday sustainability
Sustainability is not only a business decision. It is also about individual behaviour.
This Earth Day, we are encouraging our people to think about the small, practical changes they can make in their everyday lives. From reducing waste and energy use to making more conscious travel and purchasing choices, these actions add up.
We have been sharing simple, practical ideas inspired by this year’s Earth Day guidance, helping our teams turn good intentions into habits that last beyond a single day.
A shared responsibility
As a Yorkshire business, we are proud to grow alongside the communities and companies we serve. That comes with a responsibility to contribute positively, not just economically, but environmentally too.
But the planet is not just something we protect. It is home to people doing good things, every day.
That is something we see through the Fortus Foundation. We have just closed our latest round of funding applications and are looking forward to supporting more grassroots groups making a real difference across Yorkshire, for both people and planet.
We believe sustainability and growth go hand in hand. The businesses that take this seriously now will be better positioned for the future, more resilient, more efficient and more attractive to customers, investors and talent.
Earth Day is a well-needed reminder, but the real work happens in the days, months and years that follow.
If you are starting to think about what sustainability looks like for your business, we are here to help you take that first step with clarity and confidence.
