What can Veganuary teach businesses about sustainability?

After a Christmas period full of mince pies and festive cheer (hello, extra notches on the belt!), January can often feel like a bit of a killjoy. While December is all about indulging, many Brits spend the first month of the year trying to give something up – whether that’s meat for Veganuary, alcohol for Dry January, or another vice for a personal resolution. In fact, this emphasis on moderation has led the 12th January to be dubbed “Quitter’s Day” – a.k.a. the day most of us throw in the towel.

But there’s a reason these fads are so popular – and business owners could learn a thing or two about sustainability from taking part…

What is Veganuary?

Launched in 2014 by a team of non-profit activists, this mash-up of ‘Vegan’ and ‘January’ does exactly what it says on the tin. Year on year, people sign up in a commitment to go vegan for a full month – with over 1.8 million taking part in 2024 alone.

Throughout its 10-year lifetime, the organisation estimates that it’s supported roughly 25 million people worldwide to abstain from meat and dairy products each January. But what on earth does this have to do with business? We’re glad you asked. Prepare for some food for thought – pun absolutely intended.

1. Consumers care about the climate

Veganuary’s popularity doesn’t just represent a shift in dietary requirements – it also shows where consumers are concentrating their values.

In a 2024 survey of 20,000 consumers across 31 countries, 85% said that they’d experienced the effects of climate change firsthand. In response, they were willing to spend an average of 9.7% more on sustainably produced or sourced products.

So an investment in sustainability isn’t just an extra cost for your business – it could be the boost your revenue needs in the new year.

2. Community matters

Change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. When you sign up to be part of Veganuary, you get access to a whole host of resources – like eating guides, recipes, cookbooks, and more – not to mention a lively social media community sharing their own progress with #Veganuary.

When you make a commitment to lower your environmental impact as a business, you also join a growing community. In 2021, just 12% of business owners saw sustainability as a significant priority – a year later, 80% said they had set internal climate action goals.

Equally, there are hundreds of free sustainability-focused events taking place every year – from casual meet-ups like Small99’s People, Planet, Pint, to huge conferences like Sustainability LIVE.

3. No action is too small

Individuals consuming a vegan diet produce just 5.4 pounds of CO2 per day – around 75% less than many omnivores.

But when we contrast this against a large polluter, like Coca-Cola, which produces around 16,000 metric tons of CO2 every day, these individual efforts pale in comparison. Luckily, they’re not acting alone – there are 79 million vegans worldwide!

And in the same way, whether you’re installing solar panels for your brick-and-mortar store or choosing to host your website with a sustainable provider, you should know that you’re joining 65% of UK businesses also on a quest for net zero. Because even the smallest action adds up.

Commit to sustainability with Fasthosts

We’re not just about paying lip service to climate action. We’re proud to operate all our technology services from a 100% green data centre in Gloucester – so proud, in fact, that we regularly invite our customers to come and see it for themselves!

Whether Veganuary inspires you to make a difference this year or you’re already on the path to progress, find out how we can support you. Get in touch with our team today.