Air pollution, plastic in the oceans, global warming, deforestation, throwing tons of food away, earthquakes, and other weather problems are the main reasons why we are concerned about the environment and our common future. We are increasingly aware of the importance of taking care of nature and the environment and building a sustainable society in which not only individuals, but also communities, companies, and institutions have responsibility.
The most serious problem is climate change, which has proven to be a consequence of human activity. Climate change can transform our planet and affect our food, water supply, and health. This is precisely why companies themselves must take responsibility and have a positive impact on the environment and the community through their work. Companies can make a big difference in the fight for the environment in just a few steps, and the first step is in adopting a green growth business improvement strategy and ESG principles.
WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (ESG)?
The practice of Environmental, social, and corporate governance has greatly developed and expanded in the last ten years. Attitudes related to environmental protection and the desire for a better and greener future contributed to the development of this management model.
Considering the consequences of climate change, companies – smaller and larger, are turning to socially responsible environmental businesses. The rapid development of this business model has spread thanks to the advocacy of market leaders who promote this way of corporate behaviour.
ESG is a business model in which various companies operate and make efforts in order to preserve and improve the environment, contribute to nature, and provide society with a greener future.
Find out below what all the benefits your company achieves through socially responsible business.
BENEFITS OF ESG
- Increased engagement and motivation of employees
- Encourage professional and personal growth
- Builds a healthy corporate culture
- Reduction of financial costs and higher income
- Increased Brand Recognition
- Strengthening the company’s brand
- Builds public trust
- Increased investment opportunities
- Expansion of the labour market
- Increased customer retention and loyalty
- New opportunities for representation in the media and press
- Greater Sustainability
ESG plays a crucial role in a company’s brand perception and overall business success. It is one of the best ways to attract and retain a quality workforce, especially highly educated and professional people. Research has shown that employees of socially responsible business companies have higher motivation and productivity, higher quality of work, and are less likely to be absent from work. This business model opens up space for innovation by providing the company with access to new ideas, new perspectives, and experiences, and indicates the need for new products through contacts with new clients.
10 WAYS YOUR BUSINESS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO GREEN GROWTH
Being environmentally friendly will have benefits not only for the environment and community but also for your business. You have surely read somewhere how you can contribute to the preservation of the environment, introduce sustainable development, reduce your company’s costs, improve the image of your company, and become part of corporate social responsibility. You know you should make your business greener, but maybe you don’t know where to start.
Below, read 10 steps that will make your company greener and provide a healthier future for the community.
1. EMBRACE TECH
Accept and implement new technologies in your business to reduce the use of resources and make your processes more efficient. Technology helps companies stay organized and keeps the business itself secure. With the digital transformation of your business, you will be able to get to know your clients and customers much more efficiently and contribute to them in more effective ways. This step makes your business more resilient to future changes.
2. SAVE ENERGY – SWITCH TO LED LIGHTBULBS
Energy consumption varies depending on the type and volume of your business, but on average businesses can use between 15,000 and 25,000 kWh of energy per year. Increasing natural light in offices and business spaces is a great way to reduce energy, but it is also better for your health. For areas where natural light is simply not possible, use LED light bulbs. You can save energy, cut costs, and protect the environment at the same time by changing every light bulb in your space.
3. REDUCE ENERGY AND RESOURCE USE
Use energy and resources more efficiently. Whether you work in a business space or from home, turn off devices that you are not using at the moment, improve insulation, recycle more, reduce paper printing as much as possible, use recycled materials, replace old devices with new ones that consume less electricity, etc. In this way, you will save money and contribute to reducing climate change and preserving the environment.
4. USE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS
Nowadays, product sustainability is key to success. The items that a company buys to ensure everything it needs to run a successful business can often be extremely harmful to the environment. Every company should strive to use sustainable products that come from environmentally friendly or harmless sources. Using products that are made from recycled materials is a great step towards sustainable development. Replace classic toxic cleaners with green cleaners that you can find in every store today. Choose natural ingredients and protect your health and environment.
5. REDUCE PAPER WASTE
Various business enterprises in the last few years have taken a big step by switching to paperless. However, the further reduction of paper use has not decreased sufficiently. You can reduce paper consumption in a few simple ways; encourage staff to minimally print documents but to keep them electronically, consider alternative paper materials for printing, recycle & shred paper documents, get rid of personal waste and set up recycle bins, etc.
6. CULTIVATE A ZERO-WASTE CULTURE
The zero-waste way of doing business is becoming more and more popular and many companies of different sizes are applying it. Waste disposal costs have increased by more than 25% in the last 10 years. By sending less material to the landfill and returning the value of the goods with recycling, it will reduce the company’s costs and contribute to sustainable development. You can introduce a zero-waste way of doing business through several steps – establish certain waste reduction goals, develop waste prevention and reduction strategies, engage your employees, etc. Zero-waste is the whole mindset that can contribute to benefitting your business.
7. SAVE WATER
Saving water is a significant step towards responsible ecological business. Fixing leaky faucets can literally stop your business from wasting gallons of water. Improve water system assessment and maintenance and install water-saving equipment. Get your staff on board with reducing water consumption and show them how reducing water consumption can contribute to a greener future.
8. RECYCLE & REUSE
Encouraging recycling and reusing is important in any green business. Try to reuse materials and items whenever possible. Encourage employees to use all good materials to the maximum, let them use both sides of the paper for printing and the like. When you cannot reuse a particular item, recycling is the best option. Reduce or eliminate single-use items from your workplace such as single-use paper. Use reusable packaging where possible and educate your employees on how they can contribute to reducing waste.
9. DO BUSINESS WITH GREEN BUSINESSES
As a green business, you must maintain partners and companies that act in harmony with the environment and want to contribute to the healthy development of the community and society. Support local businesses, organic products, and all those who stand up for ecology. Becoming a sustainable business depends on the companies you support.
10. PROMOTE ECO-FRIENDLY AWARENESS AMONG YOUR EMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS & CLIENTS
It is important to not only show the world that you are now an eco-friendly business but also to promote this idea amongst your employees & clients. Make sure they know what products you use, what your corporate culture is, and what it means to be implementing green growth. One of the most important aspects of combating climate change is raising awareness. Educate your employees about the harmful effects of climate change, but show them ways they can contribute to developing a healthy future. Educating your employees is a great way to ensure that you are doing your part in raising awareness about going green. The awareness that companies are raising for climate change is important because it can affect people’s decisions that they make for themselves.
‘Green growth’ is surely a rising trend for businesses, but more than that it, is one of those ideas that can encourage long-term sustainable changes and savings. There are many things you can do to ensure a greener business and enable a better future. You can do this by raising awareness of the importance of ecology and sustainable development or by adopting a green policy. Whichever way you decide, you will certainly contribute to the reduction of climate change. With small steps, your business can become greener and more environmentally friendly, which contributes to the image of the company itself, healthier life, and a more successful business.
