In 2022, the threats posed by climate change and global warming are at a stage where they are having noticeable effects on the planet. In June this year, the
intense flooding in Bangladesh resulted in the displacement of over 4 million people and the death of over 100. The severity of this extreme weather has been directly attributed to climate change. In short, climate change is no longer a concept, it is an emerging reality. There is now the need for all businesses, regardless of the industry in which they operate, to take meaningful steps to improve their sustainability and minimize any adverse impacts on the environment. In this article, three distinct strategies are discussed that allow a business to operate with a greater degree of sustainability.
Reduce waste
Reducing waste can have significant positive impacts on the environment. Producing less waste can lead to less reliance on the use of landfill sites which can result in lower levels of pollution. When waste is collected for disposal or recycling, it still needs to be transported to the waste processing facilities. This requires the use of waste disposal vehicles which are powered by petrol or diesel engines.
Every journey will therefore result in the production of CO2 which contributes towards global warming. Today, in the construction and civil engineering industry, many firms are looking to reduce waste across their operations. The
leading civil engineering consulting services are already making sustainable practices a part of their daily activity. Many new construction projects will involve
green buildings which are designed to have less adverse impact on the environment. By using sustainable building materials and integrating renewable forms of energy (such as solar panels) into the designs of buildings the carbon footprint of these construction projects is minimized. In addition, by accurately predicting the volumes of various building materials that are required, waste can be kept at an extremely low level.
Allow hybrid working
In 2020, millions of workers experienced hybrid and remote models of work for the first time because of the covid-19 pandemic. Today hybrid models of working can help businesses operate in a more sustainable manner. Working from home reduces the need for car journeys or the use of other public transportation for commuting. When hybrid models of working are adopted across the business world, it can significantly reduce the amounts of greenhouse gasses that are released due to transportation. Put simply, hybrid models of working are a simple and effective way for an organization to reduce its carbon footprint.
Go paper free
When the use of computers became widespread in business, many experts predicted that this would lead to the creation of the “paperless office.” However, most businesses did not embrace this philosophy and many offices still have large commercial printers that use substantial quantities of paper every day. Businesses must embrace the concept of going paper free, especially now when the technology available can support this. The rise in cloud computing, online storage and a range of smart devices such as tablets means that very few documents need to be printed out on paper. By moving to a fully digital office environment immense amounts of paper can be saved, and the business can improve its sustainability.
