As the world continues to turn, many environmental factors reign unpredictable.
Climate change is a major contributor to the frightening fluctuations occurring in the environment’s condition, and it’s extremely important to understand the roots of the circumstances we face (and will continue to face) together as a planet.
Not only that, but it’s vital that we understand how the blows of these circumstances could potentially be lessened.
Companies and corporations leave their carbon footprints in many different ways, and if you’re looking for ways to build a more solid environmental consciousness, you’re in the right place. If you’re going to start anywhere with helping the environment, the first step to take is educating yourself
Neglecting Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gasses are a particular type of gas that absorb and emit radiant infrared energy. The best known greenhouse gasses are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
These sound familiar, don’t they? That’s because despite being naturally occurring in our atmosphere, they’re occupying it at a much higher, more harmful rate than usual.
Carbon dioxide, as previously mentioned, is a naturally occurring gas within our atmosphere, and makes up only 0.04% of it. That’s a crazy-small percentage; seemingly miniscule.
However, its growth is much more dangerous than it seems because, according to Jason West at Science Alert, its ability to absorb heat that comes from Earth’s surface is extremely powerful. When it retains heat within the atmosphere and prevents it from escaping into space, that causes global warming at a much higher and more harmful rate than normal.
When your company neglects a regular analysis of its greenhouse gas emissions in efforts to reduce them, it perpetuates the rate at which harmful greenhouse gasses are emitted into the atmosphere. Not only should there be a regular analysis, but there should be a plan to avoid excessive emissions.
If your company uses transportation to ship products, for example, look into ways to choose eco-friendly vehicles. What are the products enclosed in? Look into eco-friendly packaging (like switching out the styrofoam peanut box fillers for shredded paper or choosing paper-based tape).
Sourcing From Not-So-Environmentally-Friendly Suppliers
If you are sourcing product, who are you sourcing from, and are they practicing environmental mindfulness?
According to SIG, sustainable sourcing is needed “because supply chains continue to expand globally into developing countries for lower costs and production capacity” (Schleicher, Heather). This growth raises stakeholder expectations while also exposing businesses to greater dangers.
Anyone involved in the company, whether it be customers, employees, or labor unions, hold expectations that the company take environmental responsibility in their operations.
These expectations are continuously growing, especially considering the current state of the world.
Although it’s argued that sourcing one-hundred-percent environmentally-friendly product is considerably costly, it’s important that we are doing our part in maintaining supply from companies that share the same values as us.
This means that they take precautions and care in their operations in order to honor environmental mindfulness, at least to the best of their capability.
It is a strength that is frequently overlooked, ignored, and minimized.
Too many people in the supply chain industry are evaluated based on cost control and reduction, frequently giving any emphasis on sustainability short shrift. Many businesses will only adopt socially conscious sourcing if it can be demonstrated to be a more economical option.
Supporting a supply chain sourcing plan that provides a chance for sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and social involvement is crucial.
