It is no secret that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency.
With the planet temperature continuing to rise & our weather systems are wreaking havoc causing millions of humans & animals alike to be displaced. We are all mindful that we all have a responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint & in doing so to help support our fragile ecosystem; because without redressing the balance, the climate will continue to decline.
Business owners, whether an entrepreneur, sole trader, medium sized company or corporate giant, need to consider their carbon footprint. Companies with fully active environmental polices in place, will have created carbon free targets & incorporated these in to their business models.
One such company keeping their finger on the pulse of a fully sustainable environmental mindset & business model, is mobile phone company Fairphone.
Fairphone are an ecologically mindful company, whose entire ethos focuses on the ideal of a ‘fairer electronics industry’ with every ethical facet of the manufacture of their Fairphone mobile phone being accountable.
Fairphone believe in the notion that sustainability, ethical sourcing & longevity are at the core of the future of electronics & cite the following as their mandate for creating a truly ecologically sound product:
A fairer phone: Fairphone believe that responsible materials sourcing, sustainability & workers welfare are imperative for the future of the electronics industry.
Creating products that last: Fairphone design for longevity, easy repair, & modular upgrades. Their goal is to make a mobile phone’s hardware last as long as possible, & to provide the support to keep its software up to date. The longer an end user can keep their phone, the smaller its environmental footprint. (1)
Whether you are a remote worker, hire a small office/workshop or you rent vast offices & warehouses, you can make great changes at the core of your business to help reduce your carbon imprint.
Virtually Smart Ltd have compiled a list of few simple & practical changes you could implement in your business, to help your company be more aware of its impact on the environment.
Office equipment.
If you are seeking to purchase new office equipment, you could consider the following ideas to help reduce your carbon footprint.
- Sustainability.
- If you need to update your office, check the sustainability of the products you are considering purchasing. Ask your suppliers to provide evidence of where the products are sourced, to ensure you are aware of their carbon footprint.
- Upcycling.
- As companies change & upgrade their equipment, perfectly good & hard wearing products are being snapped up by ‘Up-cyclers’ to be re-purposed. You can fit offices with desks, chairs, cabinets, etc for a fraction of the price of brand new & with an ethical tick against your environmental policies for becoming part of the re-purposing generation.
Recycling.
Most of us recycle at home without a second thought, it has become second nature to do so. Installing recycling bins in the work place is one way of helping the recycling cycles. If staff members can see a recycling sign or have access to a recycling bin, they are more likely to adopt the same home habits at work.
Go plastic free!
The increased pressure on manufacturers to reduce plastics, is a direct result of the need for a plastic free environment. Aside from recycling, incentives could be met to have completely ‘plastic free’ days & or plastic free working environments.
Encouraging staff to use sustainable products & non polluting products is easy enough to introduce & implement throughout a workplace.
Staff food & drink habits.
Encouraging staff members to take advantage of making their own lunch & bringing it to the workplace in a reusable lunch box & bringing hot drinks in to the work place in travel mugs; is another way of dramatically reducing rubbish & the need to recycle vast amounts of cardboard’s & plastics.
Car sharing.
Car sharing is not a new concept, however, now more than ever if we can, we should! Sharing a vehicle is a simple way of reducing carbon emissions produced by traditional fuels. Even if your vehicle is a hybrid or fully electric vehicle, it still requires power to fuel it!
Meat free Monday’s.
One of the global temperature issues is how much methane is being produced by grazing animals. In addition, the vast deforestation taking place globally to find grazing ground, is causing additional & far reaches global climate issues. It is averaged that approximately 24% of GHG are from livestock. Reducing your meat intake is not only a healthy option, but it can have a direct affect on your carbon footprint.
Create a company garden.
Rooftops, balconies, window ledges are all places you can grow something on & company gardens are becoming more & more popular. Not only does anything green & growing help reduce carbon emissions & produce cleaner air; having something growing & allowing employees to tend to a garden, can help with mental health issues such as anxiety & depression.
Education.
Running informative & engaging workshops for employees, run by members of your own staff, could be a way for staff members to share their ideas about reducing their carbon footprint at home; which can then be translated into the ethics of the workforce. Giving staff the opportunity to share their ideas, creates an inclusive environment for all.
For larger organisations, arranging environmental advisers as outside speakers at staff training days, could be another way of helping staff, managers & Directors to create a fully environmentally sensitive working environment & keep in step with the companies environmental policy.
These are only a few ideas, but if you are seeking ways to ensure your businesses impact on the environment is dramatically reduced, then this non exhaustive list could be a great place to start.
Written by Katy Jane on behalf of Virtually smart Ltd.
