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How managing carbon emissions could help benefit your small business

  • Using tailored action guides can help you make changes that may be good for your bottom line
  • Potential to reduce business costs, such as energy bills or stationery costs over time
  • Increasing operational and energy efficiency may lead to lower overhead costs
  • Share your footprint, targets or actions with your employees or customers.

Where could I start?

Estimate carbon emissions

Understand the impact the day-to-day running of your business makes by estimating your business's carbon footprint.

Make a business plan 

Learn about potential actions you might take to create and implement a carbon emissions strategy for your business.

Act on your plan

It's time to put your plan into action, rolling out changes you could make instantly and those over time.

Free carbon insights tool

Cogo Carbon Manager tool that connects to your existing accounting software^

As a Westpac business customer, you can now easily estimate your business's carbon footprint. Sign up to Cogo and create your free account, then allow Cogo to connect to your existing Xero or MYOB accounting software. The tool then uses your transaction data to estimate your business's carbon emissions within minutes. 

> Sign up to Cogo

How do I use the Cogo Carbon Manager tool?

1. Sign up and create your account

To get your free Cogo Carbon Manager tool, sign up and create your account with Cogo, then connect Cogo to your Xero or MYOB account.

Sign up via the Cogo website

2. Estimate your business’s carbon footprint

Help improve the accuracy of your carbon footprint estimate by adding specific usage information, such as fuel, electricity and gas use.

3. Understand your impact, then act

Assess where your carbon hotspots are, set targets and access tools and resources to help you understand and take action to reduce carbon emissions.

What small businesses say they’re doing to reduce carbon emissions

Source: survey of 194 respondents by the SME Climate Hub#

Reductions

82%

to energy use and waste

Education

64%

for employees

Upgrades

52%

to facilities and equipment

Why use Cogo for carbon insights?

Cogo delivers carbon management solutions that are designed to help individuals and businesses estimate and understand their carbon footprint, so they can act to transition to a lower carbon operating model. Cogo offers ways to estimate carbon dioxide emissions specific to the Australian market.

 

Frequently asked questions

Cogo seek to help individuals and businesses estimate, understand and consider ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Cogo measure carbon emissions specific to the Australian market, helping customers understand their environmental impact to make more sustainable choices.

Things you should know

This information is general in nature and has been prepared without taking your personal objectives, circumstances and needs into account. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your own circumstances and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

 

Eligibility, credit criteria, fees, charges, terms and conditions apply.

 

^ Free access to Cogo’s Carbon Manager is available to existing Westpac business customers who sign up to, create an account with Cogo, and connect their existing XERO or MYOB accounting software to Cogo. Westpac may discontinue access to Cogo’s Carbon Manager at its discretion.  

 

# The SME Climate Hub: conducted the survey in July and August of 2021. The survey was distributed via email to small and medium sized businesses committed to the SME Climate Hub. There were 194 respondents in total. https://businessclimatehub.org/new-survey-reveals-small-business-barriers-climate-action/

 

The Cogo Carbon Manager (CCM): is for information purposes only and is not to be considered as advice or a recommendation by the Westpac Group and should not be relied upon as such. The CCM is provided by Cogo Connecting Good Limited trading as Cogo (Cogo) the owner and operator of all the information, tools, and services available on or via the CCM (Cogo Services). Cogo provides information on potential energy efficiency measures that may be implemented for a business based on information provided by users of the Cogo Services. While the Cogo Services are accessible via a link from the Westpac Group website, the Cogo Services are not provided by the Westpac Group, and you contract directly with Cogo. By accessing the CCM, you will enter a third-party site not owned by the Westpac Group. Any personal information you provide to Cogo's website will be collected, used and disclosed in accordance with Cogo's Privacy Policy, also available on their website.  No assurance, representation, warranty or guarantee (express or implied) is given by Westpac Group whether Cogo Services is appropriate for you. Before acquiring Cogo Services, you should read and understand the Terms and Conditions made available to you by Cogo and you should consider those Terms and Conditions in deciding whether to obtain Cogo Services (including the consents you are giving and content you may make available (directly, or indirectly sourced via a third-party intermediary), submit or upload or provide to Cogo by connecting your business’s accounting platform to Cogo).  You should consider seeking independent, professional advice before making any decision or proceeding with any actions made available to you by Cogo as part of the Cogo Services. The content made available to you by Cogo will not have been produced, checked for accuracy, or otherwise reviewed by the Westpac Group. To the extent permitted by law, Westpac Group does not accept, and expressly excludes, any liability for loss or damage arising out of the use of all or any part of the Cogo Services. Westpac has paid Cogo a fee for the provision of the CCM. Cogo is not a referral partner of Westpac and Westpac does not and will not pay or receive any commissions to or from Cogo for customers who obtain finance from Westpac. Cogo will not provide any credit assistance to Westpac customers.