Carlow private cloud and cybersecurity company Stryve has claimed a place as a climate action leader in the tech sector after being awarded carbon neutral status by an independent German assessor.
Energy auditors Climate Partner guided Stryve through a detailed assessment of its emissions and developed a roadmap to reduce its carbon footprint.
Using global standardised framework the Green House Gas Protocol to measure emissions, Stryve completed a month-long audit, based on pre-Covid conditions, to quantify the carbon footprint of each of its 25 employees.
The company assessed each employee, calculating where each person was living, how long was their commute, how many air miles they typically use per year, how many business trips and how many visits there are to the Private Cloud hub in Co Carlow. The company also looked at its paper consumption, consumables, and energy.
Chief executive Andrew Tobin (pictured) said: “Looking ahead, we believe that the government will mandate that all Irish SMEs measure their carbon footprint, but now was the right time for Stryve to take responsibility for its carbon emissions.
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“It was a simple decision for the board to make, but we didn’t want to greenwash our business by simply paying for the emissions. It is very important to us to put a programme of reduction in place.”
As a first step, the company has invested in four global sustainable projects to offset its carbon. In Congo, the chosen project was for hydropower to encourage local self-sufficiency; in Nicaragua, Stryve invested in reforestation; while another project, Plastic Bank, helps to keep the oceans clean; and clean energy projects in Rwanda give people access to cleaner, more affordable energy.
In addition, Stryve’s 25 staff in Ireland, Poland and the UK are participating in a community engagement project to focus them on reducing their own carbon footprint.
Each member of staff has their own emissions ‘budget’ and is encouraged to share any excess they may accumulate with colleagues. “This level of cooperation, open communication and accountability within the team, is expected to result in greater awareness and positive change in their behaviour for the environment,” said Tobin.
“The big energy users are power, heating and travel but measuring is just the starting point. In the short term, we have offset our emissions by investing in sustainable projects but over time we need to work hard to lower our consumption.
We don’t want to use carbon offsets indefinitely. For example, the board agreed that all future vehicles purchased will be electric.
“Most of the energy consumption was by a third party, so commitment to sustainability will be an important factor when we are choosing partners to work with in the future.”
