Embedding sustainability practices is increasingly important for business. Purpose-driven consumers are voting with their dollars, employees demand a more sustainable work environment and investors scrutinize ESG data.

But upscaling sustainability initiatives is challenging. The solution is for businesses to build collaborative sustainability ecosystems that align multiple stakeholders’ motivations. This involves leveraging existing initiatives and building on best-practices.
Reducing Energy Consumption

Using less energy is a great way for companies to cut down on their operational costs and reduce their impact on the environment. Businesses can do this in a number of ways, from using renewable energy sources to designing products that require less electricity. One such solution is 3D printing, which allows for the creation of only what is needed, eliminating waste from the production process. This technology is becoming increasingly popular among manufacturers, as it offers a fast and efficient way to produce large-scale products while still maintaining high quality.

Many organizations are focusing on sustainability and implementing green initiatives to minimize their environmental impact. In addition, a number of investors consider a company’s sustainability measures when making investments. The best business practices combine operational excellence with sustainable benefits, so that companies can reduce their costs while improving the environment. By utilizing a variety of innovative technologies, companies can achieve both goals at once.

Reducing energy consumption is one of the most important steps that a business can take to become more sustainable. A company’s energy costs can make up a significant portion of its operating budget. Sustainable solutions, such as digital software that tracks energy use and microgrids, can help a company cut its costs by reducing its consumption of electricity, fuel, or other resources. 大規模修繕

Another sustainable solution for businesses is to invest in renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power. The use of these sources can not only reduce a company’s carbon emissions, but it can also help it improve its financial performance by increasing its profitability. For example, companies that utilize renewable energy can take advantage of government tax credits and other incentives, which can offset the cost of investment in clean technology.

Aside from the environmental and financial benefits of reducing energy consumption, sustainable businesses can benefit from better communication with customers, communities, investors, and business partners. These communications can demonstrate a company’s commitment to the environment and drive sales to customers who are trying to manage their own climate impacts. For example, Iron Mountain, a $3.4 billion document and data storage company, is using green energy to offer low-carbon cloud services.
Reducing Water Consumption

Water is another resource that we use without thinking about, but the planet’s supply of freshwater is a finite one. As such, it’s important to conserve water and take steps to minimize our impact on the environment.

The most obvious way to reduce a company’s water footprint is by using less of it, which will save money on utility bills and preserve water for future generations. However, reducing water consumption isn’t just about saving money, it’s also a matter of protecting the environment and ensuring there is enough water for everyone to live in peace.

Many of the same challenges that drive sustainability in the private sector are also affecting society as a whole: climate change, overconsumption of non-renewable natural resources, biodiversity losses, extensive deforestation, extreme natural disasters, massive carbon dioxide emission, poor air quality, and limited availability of water. These problems cannot be solved by a single business, but can only be addressed by the entire global community working together to find solutions and make positive impacts.

For companies, incorporating sustainability targets into operational plans from the start is better for the environment as well as the bottom line. Achieving more output for every unit of input is good for the environment and also improves a company’s profit margins, making sustainability initiatives a win-win proposition.

But as long as the procedures and criteria used to evaluate choices and trade-offs were designed in pre-sustainability eras, there will be resistance to changing them. In fact, the very existence of corporate departments responsible for sustainability often means that it is treated like a luxury add-on rather than as a core part of a company’s strategy.

Bringing sustainability to the heart of every business requires a radical rethinking of corporate structures, processes, and culture. This is not an easy task, but it can be done. The first step is to break down siloes that separate sustainability from other departments, such as innovation, strategy, finance, business lines, and operations. This will ensure that the full benefits of integrating sustainability into the entire business are realized. This includes improving collaboration across departments and using digital technology to provide data-driven insights, automation, optimization, predictive maintenance, and reserve replacement and enhancement capabilities to help companies improve performance, reduce costs, and increase profits.
Reducing Waste

Waste reduction is one of the most effective sustainable solutions that can lower costs and reduce environmental impact. Ideally, organizations look at the entire supply chain to minimize waste in all stages of production and distribution. Whether it is reducing the amount of raw materials used during manufacturing, or avoiding wasteful or inefficient energy consumption in operation, optimizing operations can unlock simultaneous environmental and financial benefits.

Poorly managed waste creates serious problems for people around the world: contaminating water and air, killing wildlife that consumes waste unknowingly, contributing to landslides that bury homes and lives, and causing respiratory issues in those living near waste dumps. In addition, it contributes to climate change by generating greenhouse gasses from burning and decomposition.

The good news is that reducing waste is often a matter of implementing smart technology and processes, and it doesn’t need to come with a hefty price tag. In fact, many sustainable solutions deliver speedy payback. For example, using a smart waste bin with IoT sensors to track the fill level of organic and non-organic waste can cut collection costs by up to 80 percent. Similarly, the Songdo International Business District in Seoul uses a truck-free system that automatically collects waste from buildings and transports it underground through pneumatic pipes to an automated sorting and recycling plant.

To identify opportunities to minimize waste, consider forming an internal team dedicated to the goal of reducing your organization’s environmental footprint. This can be done by leveraging an existing green team or creating a separate group. It is important to include members of a cross-functional team, as this will bring in a variety of perspectives and problem-solving techniques to the table.

This team will be responsible for identifying and prioritizing waste reduction opportunities. It will also work with management to set short- and long-term waste reduction goals and track progress over time. To help with this process, consider leveraging tools such as the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (PMP), which is an online tool to help businesses and organizations benchmark their energy, water and waste performance.
Reducing Carbon Emissions

One of the most challenging aspects of integrating sustainability into large-scale operations is reducing carbon emissions. But it’s not impossible, and it isn’t just a good idea for the planet: customers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Companies can make significant reductions in their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by implementing new technologies, improving operational efficiency, and eliminating unnecessary waste.

For example, many of the world’s largest oil and gas producers are investing in clean energy solutions to reduce their environmental footprint. These projects can significantly lower GHG emissions by converting to renewable or natural gas power sources. In addition, they can lower their overall operating costs by reducing production and transportation emissions.

Another way to reduce GHGs is to cut back on air travel, which is currently the number-one source of climate change emissions. Cutting back on business trips by even just one roundtrip flight can save a company 1.6 tons of GHGs per year.

Efficient manufacturing and supply chain processes can also dramatically reduce the amount of energy, water, and raw materials needed to run a company’s operation. These savings are not only good for the environment but also good for a company’s bottom line.

Integrating sustainability into a business strategy may seem like a daunting task, especially during difficult economic times. But a growing number of consumers, employees, and investors are increasingly considering the environmental impact of businesses when making purchasing decisions.

Many of the world’s most successful companies recognize that a balanced approach to sustainability and profitability is the best path to long-term success. They use sustainable strategies to address issues such as overconsumption of nonrenewable resources, biodiversity loss, deforestation, global warming, extreme natural disasters, and carbon dioxide emissions.

For example, if a company uses remote monitoring to improve maintenance practices and reduce the amount of fuel technicians use to drive between jobs, it can substantially lower its GHGs. In addition, intelligent asset management and predictive maintenance can allow maintenance teams to create optimal routes and perform first-time fixes more frequently, avoiding the need for return visits, further lowering fuel consumption.