What are Effective Green Corporate Sustainability Initiatives
And how companies are reaching them
Have you ever asked yourself, what are the companies around me doing to help the world survive longer? And what are our goals for a healthy planet? To answer these questions, we must ask what is corporate sustainability?
Corporate sustainability drives a company to work towards making long-lasting connections with customers and employees. By finding what is going to give them the best opportunities to grow as well as how to handle commercial, social and climate changes.
Green corporate sustainability is when a company is focusing on not only climate health but also economic growth and social well-being.
To learn about green corporate sustainability, we need to ask again, what are the goals of a healthy planet? You can learn more in this article.
The goals of environmental sustainability are pollution prevention, resource conservation, waste reduction/minimization, zero discharge, reduced carbon footprint, and zero emissions.
Goals of Environmental Sustainability
1. Pollution prevention is making efforts to reduce the amount of toxic waste that can occur in the air-water and soil. There are many examples, such as; “Reuse materials, such as production scrap or shop towels, rather than putting them into the waste stream and reducing packaging.”
2. Resource conservation is ”the practice of using resources such as water, energy, and raw materials efficiently and ethically.” We can practice conserving by installing automatic lights, using more energy-efficient lights, and reducing water usage.
3. Waste reduction/minimization is a way to achieve zero waste. It is the use of recycling or source reduction. An example of this is to “Switch to a laundering service for your shop towels, mops, gloves, oil absorbents, and filter bags.”
4. Zero discharge is removing discharge pollutants from the source into waterways and being mindful of the waste to waterways. An example of this is “Recycle industrial wastewater by treating any reusable water or other material from wastewater and transferring any potential pollutants to a solid phase (sludge)”.
5. Zero emissions/reducing carbon footing is “to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming.” This can be done by reducing your waste, investing in renewable energy, and buying fuel-efficient or low emission vehicles.
The Move to Green Sustainability
Many companies have made movements towards green sustainability initiatives. For example, Toyota:
“According to their sustainability website, Toyota is evaluating applications of solar, geothermal and stationary hydrogen fuel cells, as well as the purchase of green power either directly from a utility company or through renewable energy credits. They are also experimenting with other types of renewable and alternative energy, such as geothermal systems and landfill gas.”
Another example of this is GM:
“According to their 2017 sustainability report, GM has an unwavering commitment to an all-electric, zero-emissions future, regardless of any modifications to future fuel economy standards. They are investing in multiple technologies that offer increasing levels of vehicle electrification. They have committed to using 100% renewable energy by 2050”
Using things such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, wave, nuclear and hydro-power are excellent examples of alternative and renewable energy and a key part in how to gain green corporate sustainability. Other examples of this are things such as advocacy which is the support of movements that encourage companies to change their current ways and move towards green sustainability.
These are not the only companies that can be seen making these important changes for the better, there are many smaller companies and family companies that work to add to the world instead of taking away.
Unfortunately, they are often not discussed as much as they should be but they still have an important effect on the world. And they encourage people to advocate to make positive changes, as well.
Innovation is another example we can use when thinking about this topic. Innovation is the act of thinking outside the box, coming up with new ideas, changing old ways, and making new ways better for the future. This can be used in ideas, processes, and products, there is no limit to what innovating can do to help our future become brighter.
TRUE Certification
It is stated in the article that:
“TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) helps organizations understand how materials flow through their facilities and identify redesign opportunities so that all products are reused.
TRUE-certified projects must meet a minimum of 90% waste diversion for 12 months from landfills, incinerators (waste-to-energy), or the environment. TRUE is administered by GBCI and serves as a complement to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).”
Some of the best examples of the most effective green corporate sustainability practices are doing simple things such as the classic reduce, reuse, recycle.
Reduce the amount of waste you are emitting into the water, air, and earth around us.
Reuse the discarded wrappers, water bottles, boxes around and left in distributing warehouses and turn them into new objects for consumption.
Recycle the trash, empty cans, food cartons, and big waste that does not break down and replenish the earth. Let it be reused and destroyed so it no longer can become more waste.
These are the most effective green corporate sustainability initiatives that stand to this day. The world is growing and changing every day and many people are opening their eyes to the disastrous effects of their behavior on the planet.
Many companies are growing more popular by becoming more Earth-friendly and practicing green sustainability. The efforts put towards this goal have so far been effective and have a long-term positive outlook. If you or your company are looking to become more sustainable and greener, these reliable tips will help you in creating a company that can create a positive impact on the world.
Change starts with one person, one click, and one decision but it cannot be successful without initiative and drive, so let’s all work together to create a world we can look at and be proud of.
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