You can take each of the latest global warming news alerts in one of two ways as a business. You can see that we’ve now gone a whole year at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and think that we can’t do anything about it anymore. It’s a problem that hasn’t been solved and it’s easier to just carry on. Alternatively, you could see it as a final call to action to be the change that the world needs.
As a business, you have much more power than almost any individual in their own actions. The way that you connect to other businesses, drive customer trends, and dictate much of the daily life of employees all influence your carbon footprint and environmental impact. You’ll see many entrepreneurs like Doug Lynch, who we covered at Valiant CEO, who set up new companies with eco-friendliness at the forefront, but existing firms can also adapt.
To help ease the transition, we’re going through three big solutions that are not only easy to implement but can also be money savers. They address the well-known issues associated with climate change and, hopefully, address enough of a range of businesses that at least one can be applied by just about any organization.
Clothing
Many businesses have gone down the more open route of letting their employees source and wear whatever they want to work and while representing the business – within reason. Others do enforce a uniform of some kind that’s provided by the business. If your business is in the category of the latter, or you’d be happy to pivot to a kind of half-uniform with branded tops, for example, then looking for more sustainable clothing providers is a strong first step. By providing mandatory tops, for example, you’re cutting out the employee’s need to buy tops that likely aren’t eco-friendly while also empowering an eco-friendly business.
Fashion has long been one of the largest contributors to climate change and environmental problems, from washing clothes and the chemicals that get sent into the waterways to fast-fashion encouraging landfill-loading seasonal switches to other cheap clothing articles. Fabric can’t be 100 percent sustainable right now, but it can be created in much more sustainable and ethical ways than it currently is by most companies.
So, you need a brand that ticks the boxes of sustainability, being comfortable to wear, being customizable for your business, and being available at a relatively low cost. It’s a tall order, but it’s one that Bella+Canvas can meet. By getting their wholesale clothes, you can save money while giving tops to everyone you employ and all in the knowledge that the company puts quality and planet-friendly practices at the forefront of its business model.
Energy
Naturally, energy was always going to be high on this list. Many see it as a big investment with little to return, or even one that takes several years to see a return on, and that puts them off. However, when actually put into practice, the difference can be stark. It’s the same when switching from any petrol-powered car to an electric car: once you’ve made the switch, the weekly savings are incredibly apparent.
Plus, with pressure increasingly on governments to enact green-promoting schemes, there are more perks on offer to setting up things like solar panels or switching to completely green tariffs. However, these incentives won’t last for long if switching becomes very normalized. One of the leading names in clean energy technology could be your best first call. Tesla’s commercial energy delivers clean energy and practical solutions like fully integrated storage and 24/7 monitoring to mitigate any worries of outages.
Office and Communications
Finally, a phrase that will send shivers up the spine of many entrenched in the status quo: remote work. With the right people and technology in place, there’s seldom reason in finances, productivity, or when considering environmental impacts not to instate full remote work roles. Doing so can cut office space drastically, removing all of the bills and emissions that come with that, as well as removing individual transport from the equation.
The less you ask people to travel, the less your carbon footprint will be. The fewer people you need to cater to each day with facilities, walls, lighting, food, water, and the rest, the cheaper everything will be for the business. Of course, this isn’t possible if you hire people incapable of working well in their own space or without the right software. Now, there are loads of options beyond Zoom and Google Documents. The Zoho WorkDrive suits hybrid teams and gives managers and owners a clear overview of activity and production across the board.
Making changes is always going to cost time and money, but making the right changes can be very rewarding for the business and its impact on the environment.
