🌿 Green is good for business

Why employees and employers should consider the environment.

Businesses are contributing to global warming, with 44% of US carbon emissions coming from commercial and industrial operations. Whether you’re an employee or an employer, you can make a difference by encouraging your company to make sustainable changes – this will not only help the planet, but it can also improve business.

Quote of the week: ​​“Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it’s none of the above. Fundamentally, businesses are responsible to their resource base. Without a healthy environment, there are no shareholders, no employees, no customers, and no business.” – Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia and co-founder 1% for the Planet. (The quote is from his book Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman.)

Why is it important to be thinking about climate change in your job or your business?

• Your consumers care about the environment. The number of people who care about the climate is increasing, and at least 66% of Americans support climate policies. 

• People are looking for environmentally friendly alternatives to their everyday products, with 60% of people globally rating sustainability as an important consideration when making a purchase. 

• Going green can increase employee productivity.

• The world needs businesses to step up and help fight climate change. Governments and businesses must collaborate to make an impact.

B2B services like these can help your company or employer make operations greener (and I’ll share more in future newsletters):

• Make your business and/or events eco-friendly by getting a Blue Standard certification.

• Numerous companies provide B2B sustainability analytics and strategies such as Cogo for banks, HowGood for retail, Novata for investment firms, and ecodesk for any business.

• Get your business rated or ranked for its ESG initiatives with CSRHub or EcoVadis.

NYC Climate week is next week! Sign up to attend an event – some of them have remote options if you’re not in NYC:

• September 17: New York Fashion Week Impact Show

• September 19: Climate Week Opening Ceremony (livestream available)

• September 20-21: The Hub Live Panel Discussions (livestream available)

• September 20: Climate Week Blockchain Summit

• September 21: World Biodiversity Summit (remote and in-person options)

• September 21-22: The Nest Summit: Mobilizing Climate Action

• September 21-23: Impact State of Mind

NEXT WEEK: Can individuals really make a difference to the climate?