The upcoming 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference that will be held in Paris in December is often called in the media “our last chance” to change things. It is clear now that the current levels of commitment to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, as proposed by the Kyoto Treaty, are insufficient to achieve the goal of limiting the temperature increase. A lot depends on the outcome of the conference; however, governments are slow to reach agreements and implement them. With the timeframe in which these implementations can have any meaningful impact becoming increasingly narrow, a different approach should be adopted by anyone caring at least remotely about climate change, an approach in which changes happen from the ground up.
For that kind of approach, small businesses can and should be the ground zero for two very simple reasons. They should do it because it makes sense, business-wise, to run a sustainable, ecologically responsible business. And they could do it because the practices small businesses need to adopt to increase sustainability are not that hard to implement.
The major part of running a sustainable business doesn’t necessarily have to include giving up established practices. It is about making smart choices that will improve efficiency, which is the part that most stakeholders should find interesting because of one simple reason — higher efficiency means less waste, which means fewer costs, which means higher profits. Improving efficiency and performance is also an important part of keeping a business competitive, so going down the sustainable road could help small businesses in that sense as well.
Not to be overlooked is the fact that sustainability increasingly transfers into good PR. Sustainable businesses are viewed not only as more aware of the greater scheme of things and their place in it, but also as more prone to long-term planning. Both of these things can encourage new customers to use the services or buy the products of the business, and they can also attract passionate, talented employees who would rather work in a business that cares about the same things they care about. At the same time, any of the clients or potential employees that are not passionate about climate change won’t be deterred by the fact that the business is sustainable, as long as it doesn’t affect the costs of products/service or pay rates in a way that’s unfavorable to them.
Now that the reasons why small businesses should become sustainable are clear, let’s examine some of the practices that could be adopted in order to increase sustainability. Energy use arguably plays the most important role in this. The full commitment toward sustainability would entail small businesses switching to green energy suppliers if their current suppliers are not green. However, since this isn’t always an option, stopping to use energy when it’s unnecessary should suffice. The same goes for air conditioning and heating — when they are not needed, they shouldn’t be used, and when they are needed, they should be used rationally. Making sure the insulation in the workplace is up to the latest standards can reduce the use of heating or cooling systems significantly.
Some behavioral changes and chances of business practices might also help increase the sustainability of small businesses, such as encouraging the employees to carpool, take public transportation to and from work, or ride their bikes if that’s an option. Long distance trips, the ones that require air travel, could be replaced by teleconferences when possible. If not, a few of these trips can be scheduled and combined into a single trip, as this will reduce the small business’s carbon footprint. Also, developing business relationships with other businesses that are working toward improving their sustainability can also help.
While we’re all waiting for the governments of the world to come to an agreement that will slow down, if not stop, the climate change, it’s important that every segment of the society does what it can to help avert the potentially catastrophic developments of the situation. Small businesses have a part to play — a part that can be beneficial for the business, the community in which it exists, and the planet as a whole.
Sophia Moore is an always-energized manager working for more than five years in the HVAC industry with Parker & Sons, a Phoenix, Arizona-based HVAC company that has been in business since 1974. She understands customer and business needs and is focused on providing only relevant and quality information and advice.