Climate action in business — where to begin?
Sustainable business can seem daunting, but the most important thing is to start.
At the beginning of this month, the IPCC report outlining the impacts of global warming at 1.5 degrees captured international attention… and anxiety. Reality can no longer be ignored: every single entity within society should now be worried about how they are playing a part in ensuring that the world manages the radical emission reductions that are required for warming to be limited to 1.5 degrees.
Businesses, which often create a foundation for how and what we consume, are a crucial part in achieving the 1.5 degree world.
Despite good intentions, sustainable business can often be a dauntingly complex web of systems to navigate. For many businesses the real question is not why get started, but rather, where to begin?
To help companies take the first steps toward developing clear, innovative sustainability plans, Pure Growth Innovations has launched a series of e-book guides. These guides, based in part on Pure Growth’s own primary research, outline simple steps companies can take to get into the renewable energy transition, rethink existing relationships to start with circular economy and innovate efficiently and effectively.
There are many complex sustainability plans and resources out there, but none zoom in on the very first steps companies can take toward change. This new series of guides were written with busy leaders in mind, including clear checklists that help companies structure their sustainability innovation process. Applied to their business, with the help of these guides, companies can better understand the hidden sustainability opportunities within their business models and ecosystems.
Why the focus on innovation, energy and circular economy?
It’s clear we need a new way of doing things: innovation here is key, not only in tech but also in existing businesses, new business models and ways of organizing around solutions. And renewable energy and circular economy together represent the areas where innovation is most needed to achieve this ambitious level of climate change mitigation. Energy consumption is responsible for the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions out of any other category, and an area that touches every business big or small. On the other hand, circular economy and the more productive use of materials is a requirement not only to mitigate climate change, but to rethink our systems to respect the limits of the natural world.
The IPCC report has propelled forward the conversation on climate action, and companies are increasingly required by consumers and investors to be a part of this movement. At the same time, innovating for sustainability and rethinking business models on the basis of sustainability criteria is increasingly becoming key to surviving in business and a significant investment opportunity. It has been estimated that sustainability initiatives are worth 50 billion euros a year.
With a little ingenuity and dedication, any company can jump in, do their part for climate change mitigation and reap the benefits of environmental sustainability. The most important thing is to start.
Ready to get started? Download the free guides at: puregrowth.co/guides/.
