How to Seriously Improve Your Business’s Eco-Credentials

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People have been talking about how businesses can improve their eco credentials for a long time, but it’s only in recent years that working to reduce your carbon footprint has gone from ‘recommended’ to ‘essential’. Studies have shown that consumers are more likely to buy from businesses that have sustainable practices. Plus, with governments around the world setting ambitious climate targets, there’s every chance that businesses will need to become eco-friendly in order to remain competitive.

Going paperless and switching off unused office lights was the advice of twenty years ago. Today’s businesses must go much deeper in order to be as environmentally sound as possible. We’ll run through a few key strategies to adopt that’ll make your business as green as can be.

Look At Your Premises

It’s not just what you do as a business that’ll influence how much impact you have on the natural world; where you do it will, too. Your business premises will have an environmental impact, but it’s up to you to determine how much of an impact. Adding solar panels can be a great way to be more sustainable while also seriously decreasing the cost of your energy bills. Other ideas to consider include making the most of natural light (reduces the need for heating) and opening the windows on those warm days. Also, remember that your premises don’t need to be at an optimal temperature all the time. A little bit of discomfort is OK!

Partner With Other Businesses

Even with all the goodwill in the end, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to make your business wholly environmentally-friendly all on your own. There are some processes that will be beyond you. In those cases, partnering with other businesses will be necessary. There are businesses that can recycle scrap metal, provide industrial wastewater treatment, or help incorporate energy-efficient strategies that would be difficult to perform in-house. Whatever kind of eco-issue you’re dealing with, there’ll be a business that can help you.

Vet Your Suppliers

It’ll be great if you’re doing all that you can to improve your carbon footprint. But if your suppliers aren’t doing the same, then ultimately the impact of your actions simply won’t be as effective as they could be. It’s important to think about the overall impact of your business, not just the bits that you’re directly involved with. If a supplier doesn’t seem to have much interest in sustainability, then look at switching to a supplier that does — there will absolutely be one out there. 

Encourage Earth-Friendly Commuting

Finally, keep in mind that your employees will impact your energy credentials, too, in particular with how they get to work. If everyone’s driving to the office from far away in their own vehicles, then your business simply won’t be as earth friendly as it could be. There are two ways to get around this — either start a work from home initiative or encourage your staff to travel to work via more earth friendly methods (for example, car-sharing or cycling). 

Vinh Van Lam
the authorVinh Van Lam
Vinh Van Lam, co-founder of ArtSHINE, is a visionary art coach and entrepreneur with a passion for fostering creativity. With a diverse background in art and business, he brings a unique perspective to empower emerging artists, enabling them to thrive in the dynamic art industry through the innovative platform of ArtSHINE.

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