The Role of Businesses in Environment Management

We have discussed the #EnvironmentalManagement ideals and talked briefly on developing #strategies after #environmentalanalysis. Today we want to venture into some of the interventions businesses can undertake in order to prevent #environmentaldegradation.

?It is a known fact that #energy consumption contributes greatly towards environmental degradation. Energy is one of the most important resources to sustain our lives. Therefore, managing this resource is essential for #sustainability.

At present we still depend on #fossil fuels mainly, and other kinds of non-renewable energy as substitutes. The problem of #globalwarming or #climatechange is caused by emission of carbon dioxide and other Green House Gases (GHG). Energy Conservation, especially saving use of fossil fuels, is among the countermeasures of the problem. There have been efforts from UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol, where a lot of countries in the world are working together to reduce GHG emission.

Businesses that pay attention to their energy consumption levels are already on the right path to achieving reduction in consumption. This is called #energyconservation, i.e. devising ways to use less energy while keeping production levels normal. Say for instance, you are producing 1,000 pieces of a product while using 100 units of energy. If you can produce the same quantity of products, but with 90 units of energy, then that is a good achievement. So organizations need to identify and close all sources of waste so as to optimally use the resources available.

The second intervention would be to consider #recycling and #circulareconomy. This is where you consider re-use of waste e.g. burning waste to produce energy that can now be used in the facility or given to a “neighbor” in need of the energy. ?

Take a practical example of a Sugar factory that has lots of bagasse as waste which they don’t know what to do with. On the other hand, there’s this edible oil and soap manufacturers who need lots of steam in their processes. If they can get their hands on the bagasse from Sugar factories, they would make lots of savings and avoid use of fossil fuels to generate steam. If this happens and similar symbiotic relationships sought and established, we will be greatly contributing towards reduction of environmental degradation.

The third intervention will be the use of alternative sources of energy. Is the energy I’m using coming from an environment friendly source? If no, then efforts must be made to use the renewal sources of energy. If you are using fossil fuels, for instance, could you use renewable energy like solar, biogas etc? To succeed, you need to know the emission levels of the sources of energy so that you can make the right choice.?

We believe in recognizing efforts where it is due. We therefore encourage those taking steps towards reduction in environmental degradation to consider registering these interventions for #CarbonCredits. A carbon credit, or carbon offset, is a financial unit of measurement that represents the removal of one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) from the atmosphere.

#Carbonoffsetting is the process by which individuals, projects or programs can compensate for the release of these GHG emissions by funding certified Carbon Emission reduction projects, prevent their release elsewhere or sequestrate the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They happen through: Replacing carbon emitting activities, Reducing carbon emissions and Capturing and storing already released carbon.?

For organizations who have adopted Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Resorting, the interventions they make in environmental reduction forms some positive reviews in the reports.