Companies, big and small, can have a large impact on the environment. Therefore, companies that make efforts to be more sustainable can create lasting positive effects on the environment. Companies can also help to influence consumers to make more sustainable purchasing decisions by offering sustainable options. To outline different ways that companies can make an impact towards sustainability drives, the following six ideas were created.
1. Become a B Corporation
B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. Being a B Corp symbolizes that a company is doing its part to ensure they are not adding to the problem, but rather trying to help minimize damage to the environment in all areas the business is in contact with.
2. Create Employee Initiatives
This can look like supporting them with time off for volunteer work, pledging to match their donation to sustainability drives, and creating company events to involve employees in fighting climate change such as beach or park clean-ups, or donation drives.
3. Company Pledges
Financial pledges can also be a good way for companies to show their support for sustainable and environmental initiatives. Pledges can include matching customer or employee donations to sustainable funds, donating materials to help people in need (i.e. donating one product for each product purchased), pledging a percentage of profits towards a sustainable initiative, or giving back to the environment in different ways (i.e. planting a tree for every purchase, 1% for the planet).
4. Responsible Sourcing of Materials
Companies can try to source materials locally, which would allow them to cut down on their C02 emissions from transportation. Sourcing recyclable or environmentally-friendly products is also important.
5. Switch to a Circular Economy Model
Companies can try to create a circular economy so that all of their products are recyclable and reusable so that they are not adding to the landfill with their products.
6. Create a community collection program
Companies can involve their local communities to get people to join in the fight against climate change. This not only is a way of educating people but also a way to include a lot of people and to create interest in doing their part to help. This can include doing events with the community or creating donation drives as well to help recycle company products or re-purpose them.
Companies also benefit from being sustainable and from outwardly representing their sustainability plans. They can gain a lot of different types of certificates that give them credit for their efforts and show their customers and potential customers that they care about how they impact the planet. The demand for sustainable products and for responsible companies with sustainability plans is growing exponentially and will continue to grow. Companies need to do their part to help fight the detrimental effects of climate change, just as consumers need to continue to demand accountability for companies to be transparent and sustainable.
Let's all help do our part to fight climate change by making sustainable choices and encouraging others to act sustainably, businesses included! Empower the future with GreenView Energy!
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