THE IMPACT OF SMALL BUSINESSES ON THE ENVIRONMENT

We are doing this blog to highlight?the impact?businesses?have?on the environment and how we can help protect it.?Since we are a cog in the industry, we have focused on such because change begins from home. SMEs undermine their role in the environment, assuming their impact is significantly less compared to large companies.??

Moreover, we are favorably biased towards SMEs?when it comes to?the environment.? ?It's?because of our collective tendency to assume something large would have a significant impact and something?small,?not so.?

That assumption?couldn't?be further from reality.?

SMEs employ more than half of the?world's?workforce.?

These small yet powerful entities contribute 40% to the GDP.?

They?are credited?with innovation and growth.?

And now comes the jolt-

At least 50% of the GHGs (Greenhouse gases)?are produced?by SMEs in the business sector.??

Likewise,?the efforts they make?towards the environment?can?have a significant?impact both in the short and long term.?

Sustainable Development Goals for SMEs?

According to?Wiki,?any business with 1 to 49 employees is a small enterprise.?Those hiring between 50 to?249 people come under medium-sized enterprises.??

Perhaps you wonder how?such?small numbers can contribute to nearly half of the emissions.?

Almost 90% of the businesses fall under this category. For example, the Australian economy comprises 98% SMEs. Naturally, they employ the most people. What does it mean in terms of the environment???

In a word, SMEs can affect people and bring the change?that is?needed to save our world. The following are a few sustainable development goals that SMEs can help achieve collectively:?

• Responsible Consumption?

• Clean Water & Sanitation?
• Sustainability?
• Life Below Water?
• Partnerships for the Goals?
• Life on Land?
• Zero Hunger?

The zero-hunger goal does not imply SMEs should begin distributing free meals. So,?what?can they do??

It's?quite?common for team members to order lunch and throw away leftovers.?SMEs can encourage employees to avoid such practices with gentle reminders such as a single sandwich,?depending?on the ingredients,?produces 399–843 g CO2?eq.?per?sandwich.?

At other times, SMEs can remind people of the harsher truths.?

The?UN reported that 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021.?

?It is 2024.?

The World Counts reports that 9 million people die of hunger each year.??

Not many are aware of these facts. SMEs can raise awareness?if?nothing else.?

Measures to Reduce the Impact of Your Business?

Whether you run a 5-person team or have 50 people, your team can make a difference. Moreover, such endeavors also help in boosting employee engagement and foster a feeling of unity and togetherness.?

• Reducing CO2 Emissions?

Encourage employees to carpool, ride bikes, or rely on public transportation for commuting.?

• Conserving Resources?

Many superiors in SMEs leave the lights and AC on in their offices even when not in use but expect their junior staff to conserve energy resources. I recall a CEO leading by example instead of words. He would always turn off the energy resources when leaving his office.?

• Partnerships with Sustainable Businesses?

Many SMEs purchase goods and services from sustainable vendors. Again, these efforts lend a business goodwill and improve its image in the eyes of the customers. Whether?it's?bottled water for the?staff,?or office stationery, small and medium businesses are doing whatever they can?and?so can you.?

Munzai?Solutions' Contribution?

We are committed to doing our bit for the environment. Though it may not seem much, we know each little step goes a long way in saving our planet.?

• Minimum Paperwork?

We?can't?exactly take credit for this??because we are a digital sales agency. You are right, why?mention it?then? The following parallels will help in drawing a clear picture.?

Does that mean a digital business has a positive impact on the environment? Where fossil fuel (video meetings instead of in-person meetings) and paper reduction are concerned, yes.??

But. And it is a very serious but.?

Digital agencies run on the internet.?

Do you see where I am going with this??

Let us for a moment think the internet is a country, what?do you think is its energy consumption? According to Greenpeace, it would be on No. 5, just below Japan.??

Then why are we so focused on paper reduction? Because of the following grim stats about the paper industry:?

• 200 million trees are chopped down daily for production?
• Ranks third in the?world's?total energy consumption?
• 10% of the freshwater reserves?are consumed?by it?
• A single A4 sheet takes up 10 to 20 liters of water?
• 69094 million m3/year of toxic pollutants discharged??

Based on this context, a shift towards the digital still gives us better odds. And at Munzai Solutions, we have made that shift.?This is how:

• Cooling Systems?

4% of the GHG emissions come from the cooling units.??

However, in the sweltering heat, we?can't?ask our employees to keep the temperature at 24 degrees Celsius, the suggested temperature for efficient energy consumption.??

So, what do we do? We ensure regular maintenance of our systems. It ensures they work at optimum levels and do not release more pollutants than necessary.?

• Energy-Saving Equipment?

Laptops have a better ecological footprint than desktops due to their efficient energy output. We have minimized the use of desktop computers and use them only where necessary. It not only helps us do our bit for the environment- but is also quite convenient for the team.??

Instead of being bound to their workstations, our employees can move around with the laptop and sit in different areas?such?as the lobby or the lunch area. This option gives them more freedom and enhances their productivity.?

• Facilitating Remote Work?

We have remote SDRs and marketing specialists.?This?is a win-win situation for our team and the planet. They can work from the comfort of their homes while going green at the same time. In remote work, their daily fuel consumption is not only minimized- but eliminated.??

• Using Digital Platforms?

We believe in digital transformation to propel businesses. And equally importantly, to protect the environment. We rely on modern software and platforms to do our tasks and help?businesses. ?

We are nowhere near close to achieving our sustainability goals?but?we hope to keep working on them for our sake and our future generations.?

Conclusion?

SMEs can play a pivotal role in protecting the environment and ensuring a better future. Depending on financial resources, businesses can invest in modern technologies to?cut back?their carbon footprint. We should also encourage employees to use best practices?whether?they are at the office or their homes.??

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