5 Ideas To Promote Business Sustainability

Promote Environmental Care by Introducing Some Of These Tips In Your Company

The world is waking up and change is coming, whether we like it or not. With this forceful statement, Greta Thunberg ended her speech last September at the world climate summit organized by the UN in New York.

Climate change is a reality that we can no longer deny. Far from adopting a pessimistic position, we believe that this is an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. From the organizations, we can contribute our grain of sand in the fight against this phenomenon and help create spaces that respect the environment. how? In this article, we reveal the keys to achieving it.

What Is Business Sustainability?

In recent years, sustainable development has been gaining ground in companies. What was initially considered a complement to organizations, today forms part of the backbone of companies from the point of view of Corporate Social Responsibility?

We understand a sustainable company as one that tries to minimize any environmental impact it may have on the planet, be it by creating recyclable packaging, using solar panels to generate energy, promoting social initiatives, or implementing sustainable business strategies.

Why Is Business Sustainability Important?

The worldwide mobilizations under the Fridays for Future proclamation, promoted by the Swedish activist, show that caring for the environment is one of the greatest concerns of the younger generations.

According to a report by Atrevia and Deusto Business School, 76% of young people are concerned about the impact of human beings on the planet, 60% are looking for a job that has a positive impact on society, and 26% are already doing some work. volunteering. The most conscientious companies start with an advantage when it comes to attracting the talent that is entering the labor market.

But this is not the only reason to implement environmental management measures in companies. Some others are:

Protect the planet and reduce the impact of pollution on natural resources and ecosystems.

Protect human health: the toxins released by industry and agriculture affect us in a very negative way.

Fight against poverty: the degradation of the environmental harms, above all, the population with fewer resources.

Reduce costs by avoiding the waste of natural resources and making efficient use of them.

Promote a world with new values: the transition towards sustainability is based on a new ethical perspective, on a change of values that place the human being as one more member of the community of life.

5 Ideas To Reduce The Environmental Impact Of Companies

We are all responsible for taking care of the planet’s natural resources. Companies, as entities with the capacity to generate systemic change, can carry out various actions with a beneficial impact on the environment. Here are five ideas for creating sustainable businesses.

1. Promotes awareness

We are becoming more and more aware of respect for the environment, but there are always laggards who need a boost. As a team, HR, or Training Manager, you can use your influence to transmit corporate sustainability values.

To do this, training capsules on specific topics can be implemented, as well as talks with experts or team building in which, for example, you reforest a damaged natural area. Yes, it is very important to convey the message that sustainability does not end in the company, but that it reaches homes.

2. Reduce, reuse, and recycle

It seems obvious, but some companies still do not have recycling containers in their offices to separate paper, plastic, or glass. Having a space dedicated to it gives employees the chance to carry out recycling while helping to raise awareness.

In this sense, we can promote zero waste in the company, a movement that promotes zero waste disposal. For example, instead of using plastic cups for your mid-morning coffee, why not create reusable cups for each of your employees?

3. Digitize processes

From avoiding face-to-face meetings on the other side of the city that could be carried out perfectly by video calls, to archiving documents in the cloud that saves an immense amount of paper. We must embrace digital transformation as part of the corporate culture.

4. Encourage telecommuting

We have experienced a teleworking boom as a result of the recent confinement, but now we are referring to creating a regulation that has long-term permanence. This practice has multiple benefits for the environment, mainly thanks to the reduction of journeys by car or public transport.

5. Make your teams part of the change

If we want to go one step further, we can involve our staff in decision-making. That is to say, it is the people in our organizations who propose new ways of relating to our environment respectfully. It is also a way to encourage creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

Sustainability, A Bet On The Future

If one thing is clear, it is that climate change is a global challenge that affects us all equally. In this context, companies have the power to contribute to social transformation. In the article, we have seen the first steps to start creating an eco-friendly office, but the possibilities are endless.