One of the UK’s lead life insurance providers, AXA, has launched a carbon calculator to help Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) reduce carbon emissions.

Made available free online, and in conjunction with The Carbon Neutral Company, The Carbon Footprint Calculator calculates data from a given SME’s energy usage, waste and travel, and forms a CO2 emissions report. The tool also allows the given SME to explore suggestions for reduction of future emissions, as well as an opportunity to offset the carbon footprint.

"With an estimated 4.5 million small enterprises in the UK, the SME community needs to take responsibility for its impact on the environment and not leave green efforts solely to large corporations,” said Doug Barnett, Head of Customer Risk Management at AXA. “The Carbon Trust estimates that SMEs are responsible for around 20 per cent of all carbon emissions in the UK . By offering SMEs a tool with which to benchmark emissions and a guide containing a range of ideas on how to reduce carbon footprints for a range of budgets we hope to encourage positive action."

Research provided by AXA indicates that approximately 110 million tonnes of carbon are emitted each year by SMEs. The insurance provider is aiming to help reduce the impact of these emissons on the environment with the new calculator tool. Created specifically for SMEs, the calculator is a type of self-assessment accessory, allowing them to “assess and reduce their environmental impact.”