There is so much evidence to suggest climate change is REAL. Yes, it is happening. Greenhouse gases are increasing and the effect on the planet is noticeable everywhere. But, how much of what we hear in the news is just sent to scare us? Do we really need to change our home lives and our businesses to help improve our sustainability and do our bit towards climate change?
Of course there are many studies that look into why climate change is very real. However despite the news and facts, the first thing many businesses say when we discuss climate change with them is that they will adopt the wait-and-see strategy. Could reducing your energy usage and improving your business’ sustainability be a wasted expense if climate change ends up being not such a big deal?
Many would argue against this approach. Sustainable supply chain risk management specialists amee.com would say that environmental and economic change is driving business risk, so anything you can do in your business to manage this risk is only going to benefit you. Others might say that while it might not be as bad as expected, it could also be much worse, so preparing now is also a wise and prudent decision. Saying you’ll ‘wait and see’ could be a naïve and potentially disastrous approach.
A myth that many also believe is that there is nothing you can really do to slow down climate change, and whatever your business did try and do probably would have little impact anyway. However, reducing CO2 emissions is actually surprisingly easy, and a business can also save money by doing so. In fact, there are many more benefits to reducing your energy usage. Your brand image could also be impacted by such a move – more consumers are only wanting to deal with energy efficient companies. This Guardian article highlights how consumers are actively attempting to make greener choices – from the food they buy to the companies they decide to do business with. You could be missing a trick by not doing anything in regards to your environmental strategy.
Another myth: the cost of reducing your emissions would be too high to bother with. No! By switching energy suppliers, turning off lights and monitors when not in use, and installing smart meters, you can make a real difference to your bottom line from a personal business level as well as the added benefit of contributing towards the climate change effort. You might as well save the pennies where you can – it costs nothing to switch suppliers and very little to install energy efficient measures such as LED lighting.
Essentially, climate change is happening. Many businesses feel like their impact would be so minor, or the benefits would be so few, that they don’t bother to try and integrate any kind of environmental strategy into their business plans. But, as discussed, ignoring the facts could make you ignorant and leave your business in the background of the changing landscape. Your competitors are doing it – so you should do.
I wonder how people on an individual basis should approach reducing their GHG/Carbon impact. Anything I do seems like a drop in the bucket compared to how many cars are out on the roads every. single. day. That’s only cars here. I get even more depressed when I think about how many cars are running in Beijing or Delhi. And that’s only cars!