We all know that some of our habits need to change if we are to stand any chance of making progress in the battle against climate change. With temperatures rising, ice caps melting and freak weather conditions becoming more common, it’s hard to ignore the effect that we are having on the planet.
Whilst there are plenty of things that we can do as individuals, businesses need to step up too. According to Deloitte, only 27% of companies surveyed across Europe have set autonomous carbon emission reduction targets, so there is a huge scope for improvement.
Luckily, there are plenty of big companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft that are taking the lead and revolutionising the way that they work in order to drive their carbon footprint down. Here, we look at three ways businesses can use technology in the fight against climate change.
Supply chain management
When you’re managing a huge supply chain, it can be really difficult to have an oversight of everything at once. Historically, different teams may work in different ways, and use varied technologies to keep track of what is going on.
With modern technology, it’s become much easier to use a single streamlined system to efficiently manage your supply chain. Not only does this make it easier for the workforce and produce a company standard process, but it also means that businesses can identify areas where they can cut down on waste and energy consumption.
It’s also important to look at the smaller suppliers that businesses are using to produce components for their products. Harvard Business Review suggests that companies should look at the low-tier suppliers that they are using, as well as what they’re doing in-house, and encourage them to set their own sustainability goals, as well as including them in the goals of the larger company.
Smart energy
Getting your workplace into shape is a change that all companies that have an office space can make. Even companies that are hybrid or remote first can share useful advice with their employees to encourage them to make the switch.
Creating a sustainable office space can include initiatives like switching to LED bulbs, which give off less heat and more light, and automating your lights so that they’re never on when you’re not using a room. You can also install a smart thermostat, which stops the heating from being on when you’re not there, as well as learning your routine and automatically adjusting the thermostat.
Businesses can also switch to a green energy tariff or provider so that their money puts more units of green energy into the grid.
Company cars
If your business needs your employees to travel around in cars, or uses delivery vans, switching to electric vehicles is a great way to make an impact. Using a car for short journeys, such as visiting clients in the local area, is particularly bad for the environment, as they are too short to properly warm up the car’s engine. This results in burning more fuel and pumping out greenhouse gases from the exhaust into the atmosphere.