Ever since 1938, when Guy Callendar first concluded that the planet is warming up and we play a significant role in that, interest started to rise about climate change. Callendar measured data from more than 140 weather stations, but many people were not ready to accept the idea that humans could have an impact on the environment, so they rejected Callendar's results. And by people, we mean scientists too! When Callendar argued that the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) was climbing and raising the global temperature, scientists found his arguments implausible. It wasn't until the evidence became overwhelming that people began to take his findings seriously.
However, 20 years later, Dr. Charles David Keeling provided empirical evidence that CO2 emissions were increasing. His findings revolutionized the scientific community, prompting the world to take a closer look at the effects of CO2 emissions on the environment. And it eventually led to the emergence of the field of sustainability - which sought to address the growing concern about climate change.
But other gas emissions that we are responsible for are correlated with global warming.
Some of them are called greenhouse gases. For example, Methane is the second most abundant anthropogenic GHG after carbon dioxide (CO2), accounting for about 20 percent of global emissions, and is more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide (CO2) at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
Fortunately, nowadays, everyone started to acknowledge the importance of reducing these greenhouse gases. This happened because of the growing fear that occurred due to a set of very negative predictions about environmental hazards that will occur if we don’t act fast. As a result of this fear, people have become more aware of the dangers of climate change and what it can do to our planet. It has been especially evident in recent years, with more and more natural disasters occurring due to global warming, such as increased air pollution, extreme temperatures, or wildfires.
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And since businesses play a major role in this crisis, some actions need to be taken.
To create a net zero carbon (CO2) emission business environment, we need to define a company’s carbon (CO2) footprint. You can think of this term as the total amount of damaging emissions that are related to the business cycle. To make it simpler to measure and account for, these emissions are divided into 3 categories. We have direct emissions from our business activities, emissions from the energy we purchase, and lastly, the emissions that our suppliers, but also consumers using our products, are responsible for.
So now that we have them named we can start measuring the impact of each category and sum it up to see a company’s carbon footprint. But how can we take immediate action to reduce our impact to reach 0 greenhouse gas emissions?
First and foremost we should encourage recycling, waste management, green energy, and re-using inside our companies.
These three aspects can highly impact our carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions and they can be developed to meet our long-term sustainability goals.
Recycling the rubbish that our employees produce can be done as easily as implementing several bins for different types of waste such as plastic, paper, or glass, and making sure these end up at recycling stations. In this way, a used Coke can made up of aluminum can end up being a part of a new item manufactured later, rather than ending up in a pile of trash at a local landfill and using green energy.
Also, buying already recycled materials inside the office and investing in already-used furniture and devices can correlate to a more sustainable effort. Think about how chic an office building that combines vintage furniture with modern one can be. Even more so, if your business focuses on sustainability, employees will perform better at their jobs as they can see that they can positively impact the environment.
Also, we can procure environmentally-friendly energy while also investing in solar panels farms. (or similar initiatives).
Green energy providers are available now more than ever. For that reason, companies can switch to more sustainable sources to power up their offices. This is a simple step that can impact our carbon footprint tremendously. And that’s because sustainable sources, such as solar and wind, have virtually no carbon emissions. So, by switching to them, companies can dramatically reduce their carbon emissions and help to protect the environment. Moreover, this can also potentially save money in the long run, as renewable sources are becoming cheaper and more efficient. And the most important part? By switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, we could save the world as much as $12tn by 2050! This sum can be invested then into more pressing matters regarding climate change.
Furthermore, allocating funds to creating or implementing green energy can add a bonus star to our track record. It can highly impact our company’s image as a sustainability advocate and can have a great impact both on the business reputation as well as the environment.
Additionally, we can look into ways of reducing the fossil fuel footprint on our company by switching our company’s traditional vehicles to electric ones.
To reduce the fossil fuel consumption associated with our company’s cars, we should take a look at all the electric vehicle alternatives out there. You might be surprised to see how affordable the electric car industry has become. With more and more advancements in technology and government incentives, electric cars have become more affordable than ever. Battery prices have gone down significantly, and the cost of charging electric cars is much lower than fueling conventional ones. Furthermore, electric cars have lower maintenance costs and greater fuel efficiency. Therefore, there’s not a single reason not to consider switching to electric vehicles, if you have the means to do so.
However, encouraging employees to daily commute to the office using public transportation and ride-sharing options when possible is also a great way to sustain your efforts. If one employee is taking his or her car to work they can pick up a few others on the road. Not to mention this can positively impact the bonding inside a company.
There are actions that we can easily implement in the daily operations of our companies that can help contribute to a better environment in the future. After all, it is in our best interest to live in a more sustainable and healthy society. And don’t forget - the change can be powered by us and our companies.
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