In recent years, there has been increasing media coverage of the climate catastrophe that faces our planet. With governments around the world actively promoting and, in many cases, insisting on reducing emissions and tackling climate change, it is now more important than ever for companies to consider their carbon footprint and start making a positive contribution to the battle against global warming.
The responsibility of companies and individuals to adapt
Climate experts suggest the onus of responsibility lies with both populations and companies to find ways to reduce waste and operate more efficiently. Indeed, the Paris Agreement of 2015 saw 196 parties enter a legally binding agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 (preferably 1.5) degrees Celsius – as compared to pre-industrial levels. The terms of the Agreement mean firms around the world now have a responsibility to limit emissions and work more productivity with less waste – and that includes your company too.
Ways to improve your firm’s efficiency and carbon footprint
While the targets set in the Paris Agreement might seem to be outwardly restrictive, in truth there are some very simple changes all firms could make which will help them to be achieved yet with minimal effort. These include:
Embrace remote working: The recent COVID crisis exposed just how wasteful and unnecessary the traditional Monday to Friday, 9-5 work ethic really was. As employees the world over were forced to work from home through lockdown and isolation, companies very quickly adapted to remote-working, with many even reporting an upturn in productivity. While the worst of the virus seems to be over with the widespread rollout of vaccinations, most industry analysts suggest the world of work may well be changed forever, with remote-working becoming the norm rather than the exception in future.
Use alternative energy sources: Moving to alternative energy will not only benefit the environment, it could also see you enjoying vastly reduced energy bills. Depending on the location of your premises, consider installing solar panels or a gas turbine power. Even just changing suppliers to a bona fide eco-friendly provider will make a difference.
Recycle everything: No matter whether you run a manufacturing plant or are just office-based, the waste produced by companies daily is truly shocking. Instead of just throwing away items, you should look to recycling wherever and whenever possible including everything from paper to your electronic items like phones and computers. Also, when purchasing new items, think about your options for recycling. Most goods now either have already-recycled versions or ones that are specifically produced to be recycled later – paper, tech and even display banner displays that provide an eco-friendly alternative.
Use a green web hosting service: While the internet has brought tremendous transformative effects on business in the last thirty or so years, it still puts massive pressure on the environment through the huge energy demands of hosting companies. Larger players like Facebook and Google have already committed to reducing their energy use – and you could too by choosing a green hosting company for your website and associated online services.
Veeramachineni Lalitha
I am Finance Content Writer. I write Personal Finance, banking, investment, and insurance related content for top clients including Kotak Mahindra Bank, Edelweiss, ICICI BANK and IDFC FIRST Bank. My experience details : Linkedin