Barry-Fischetto

Do you know what type of carbon footprint you and your business are leaving on the Earth? Chances are, it’s larger than you may think.

As you may or may not be aware of, there is a good chance that the Earth is going to be the only home that we as humans will know (at least this generation of humans). It’s precisely this fact that has brought the idea of sustainability and reducing your carbon footprint into the spotlight in recent years. Whether you’re among the camp of people that are taking action in changing our effect on the climate or the group that denies the existence of climate change is irrelevant. Science says that climate change is very real, very man-made, and a very big threat to the future of Earth.

The burden of changing the overwhelmingly negative impact of carbon emissions falls on the shoulders of not just the people of the world, but the businesses that we’re a part of.

 

Look At Your Supply Chain

I’ve written in the past about the huge impact on sustainability and carbon footprints that the supply chain has. The supply chain can be responsible for up to 90 percent of an organization’s carbon footprint. Fuel efficiency and vehicle maintenance can be are two portions of the supply chain that, if properly monitored, updated and maintained, can help cut both your cost and your emissions.

Check Your Equipment

Install motion-sensored lights around the office. Make sure every employee is turning off his or her computer at the end of the work day. Look into installing programs that monitor computer energy use. Energy saving bulbs and/or windows are available, often cheaper than you’d expect.

While the above options may seem minor in the grand scheme of things, these minor changes,if implemented across an entire business, can have a measurable impact on your company’s footprint.

Go Digital and Ask Your Clients/Customers to Do the Sam

Going digital within your office space shouldn’t be a huge issue. If you can email a document instead of printing or faxing it, do it. Instead of keeping a filing cabinet with a million folders and documents, simply keep folders and documents on your computer. They’re easier to sort and search through and use exactly zero paper waste. Just be sure to keep backups saved on a flash drive, just in case.

Even documents that need signatures like contracts can be done virtually; inserting signatures through Adobe or online applications is simple. Invoices and bills can be paperless too, many companies are beginning to ask their clients to “go paperless,” meaning eliminating paper bills mailed to homes in favor of email alerts.

Whatever You’re Doing, Measure It

The reason we’re making these changes isn’t just to feel better about ourselves (though that helps too), it’s to make a real difference. Regardless of what you’re doing to change the footprint of your business, without a means of tracking it, your efforts could be going to waste. Carbonfund.org features a footprint tracker and calculator that you can use for your business to keep tabs on what effects your steps towards a sustainable business are having!


 

Barry Fischetto Photo