Understanding your impact on the environment has been shifted radically over the past few years. The raising of protests has made both individuals and businesses become aware of our responsibility for climate change. The disruption in people’s lives and the worldwide economy caused by COVID-19 has seemed to have set up a point of no return. In regards to that, the restrictions of movement have turned out to be a major ally of the planet. According to Pushpam Kumar, Chief Environmental Economist at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) “the emergence of COVID-19 has underscored the mutually-affective relationship between people and nature”. So it is that even “the virus has been attributed to human interferences such as deforestation, encroachment on animal habitats and biodiversity loss”.
The countries’ lockdown is the ultimate proof that our planet needs desperately to be taken care of. Now, it’s the right timing for us to stop and re-think how we can help the environment. By taking a few simple steps you can begin your journey into being a sustainable and ethical business – which is pivotal in avoiding irreversible climate change.
To begin the process measure your businesses’ current carbon footprint. Compare your footprint is an online tool which will do this for you, hassle-free, at the fraction of the cost of hiring consultants. All you need to do is input your data (water, electricity, gas, waste, travel, procurement, etc.). The tool does the rest for you. A report will be generated telling you where you are now and how you need to proceed. Instead of spending time and money on monitoring and reporting, the tool enables you to use your resources to actually reducing your footprint.
Setting goals to understanding your impact
Now you know your carbon footprint, it is time to set goals and targets to reduce it. You can sign up for the Science Based Targets initiative. The initiative is a partnership between CDP, UN Global Compact, WRI and WWF, it helps business set goals based on the science of climate change. The target is developed in line with the scale of reductions required to keep global warming below 1.5C from pre-industrial levels. This is what is needed to avoid irreversible climate change in accordance with recent IPCC studies. If we go above this 1.5-degree threshold by just 0.5 degrees, there will be two or three times the amount of social, economic and ecosystem destruction. This 0.5 degrees may sound insignificant but in fact, its repercussions are vast.
This is a systematic framework that manages the immediate and long-term environmental impacts of an organisation. It includes the products, services and processes that occur at any point within the infrastructure of that business. Using an EMS system, a company can evaluate its performance in a methodical and cost-effective manner. Green Element are experts in environmental management systems. We have helped to drastically reduce our client’s environmental impacts as well as saving them on financial costs.
For example, Regent’s University London, “Since working with Will and the team, we have achieved savings of 500 tonnes of carbon emissions and 160, 000 kilowatt-hours of energy. The university has also, perhaps more noticeably, reduced our running costs by £24,000 a year.” – Alan Donnachie, Head of Estates, Regents University London.
Getting people on board can be one of the biggest challenges that businesses face. However, with current events such as the Extinction Rebellion protests and consumer shifts, more people are beginning to talk about protecting our planet. Your company can easily get involved too. Try organising a team of ‘champions’ to run green initiatives and engagement pieces. This will spark discussion and infuse awareness. Putting on events or competitions amongst employees. Having a sustainability week or Earth Hour can help too. It is important to highlight the impact of not recycling or turning off electric appliances has on individuals. If staff are aware of the reasoning behind actions, they are more likely to comply.
These four steps will set you on your path to understanding and ultimately reducing your impact. These things take time and don’t just happen overnight. It is a journey. If you need help please get in touch with us at Green Element on 0207 0960 054. We look forward to hearing from you.
Together businesses can combat climate change.