Many people make eco-friendly choices in their private lives, but all too often, that resolve vanishes over the course of their commute to work. There was an idea that if it’s good for business or productivity, then it doesn’t matter if it’s bad for the planet. That attitude is changing. More companies are stepping up because people and the governments that represent them are demanding change. What can you do as a business person or entrepreneur to make that change?
Start at Home
The first thing you should do is start by looking at your internal practices. How much energy does your office building consume? Where does it come from, and are you doing everything you can to conserve it? What about water usage and waste? You likely have recycling at home, but what about electronic recycling scrap from your office? As you look at internal practices, you will likely find connections to outside organizations.
Donation
Once you’ve cleaned the proverbial house, you can start to think about being an active force for good with your company. As a business is made up of many people and serves many different clients, it naturally uses more energy and generates more waste, but it also produces much more revenue than any one person could hope to. That means if you’re running your business right, you should have more power to give donations to make a positive environmental impact. If nothing else, you can volunteer some of your employees’ time for conservation efforts or donate supplies that you have in abundance.
Planet Over Profit
The point that everyone intuitively understands, even if they choose to ignore it in the short term, is that without a healthy planet, there can be no profit. Partnerships between businesses and organizations trying to save the planet can benefit everyone. Businesses that continue to choose profit over the planet are doomed to fail, either sooner when they are forced to adopt different practices by the government or later when the planet gives out.Â
Businesses play a huge role in the pollution and environmental damage done to our planet, but they can just as easily be part of the solution. Harnessing that ingenuity, savviness, and entrepreneurial spirit for the benefit of all mankind is one of the best things a business can do in this day and age. Protecting the planet is a moral imperative that doesn’t go away after your commute to work in the morning.
