Sustainability is slowly becoming one of the biggest priorities for business worldwide, as governments are enforcing it, consumers are demanding it, and the benefits now exponentially outweigh the costs. Apart from helping to create a healthier environment, going green might also positively affect your company’s bottom line, leading to a more successful and prosperous future. If you are thinking of building a more eco-friendly business as well, here are some simple yet efficient ways to prioritize sustainability in 2022:
Set your main goals
While this might seem obvious at first, it’s important to decide what your main priorities are when setting eco-friendly goals. Of course, making an effort to reduce the effects of climate change and save the environment is the most common and noble objective, but there are a number of different ways sustainability could benefit your business.
For instance, going green can improve your company’s reputation and attract a wider audience, changing operations suddenly could encourage creativity and innovation, while choosing renewable energy sources could save your business a significant sum in the long run. Regardless of your priorities, your main goal will dictate the following steps, whether that means changing your suppliers or investing in green infrastructure.
Attempt to reduce waste
Regardless of the size of your business or the industry you operate in, every company is bound to produce a certain amount of waste. When it comes to sustainable businesses, what matters most are your efforts to reduce the waste you produce, as well as the ways in which you handle said waste.
Aside from reducing any production or manufacturing waste, this also means making efforts to minimize the in-office waste as well. For example, you can try to go paperless and make use of technology, reduce the amount of electronic waste you create each year, encourage your employees to choose reusable options instead of their single-use counterparts, and make sure to recycle whenever reducing waste simply isn’t possible.
Use sustainable suppliers
Although often overlooked, streamlining your supply chain can also be a good way of growing a more eco-friendly business. Whether that means choosing local suppliers or opting for more sustainable international ones, sourcing goods in a more conscious manner might benefit your business and community alike.
One of the best ways to achieve this is to choose trade finance, a brilliant solution that will allow you to accelerate business growth and improve your relationships with local and international suppliers without the common cash flow challenges. By providing you with a revolving line of credit to pay any supplier of your choosing, and allowing you to set your own trading terms, such finance options can be a great way of improving flexibility and focusing on creating a more sustainable company in 2022.
Reduce energy consumption
Reducing the amount of energy you’re using is another great way of building a more sustainable business. In order to achieve this, assessing your current energy consumption is the best place to start. From large equipment and machinery to poor lighting and outdated HVAC systems, there are many areas where change might be needed.
Apart from replacing any wasteful aspects, it might also be a good idea to invest in renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar energy, not only in order to be more sustainable, but also to possibly save money in the long haul. Similarly, acquiring an Energy Performance Certificate could be a good way to get a more detailed assessment of your company’s energy consumption and find new areas of improvement as well.
Minimize your carbon footprint
As many countries around the world are aiming to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint in the foreseeable future, an increasing number of businesses are making this one of their main goals as well. If you wish to grow a more sustainable business come 2022, minimizing your carbon footprint is a great place to start.
For instance, you can measure your current carbon footprint, see how far away you are from reaching net-zero, and then plan a more targeted and efficient environmental approach. Besides reducing waste and investing in renewable resources, even smaller aspects such as less frequent business travel can help to reduce your company’s overall carbon footprint.As environmental concern continues to grow, more companies are going green than ever. If you want to invest in a more sustainable business as well, utilizing the helpful tips mentioned above will allow you to contribute to a healthier and safer future.
