Most of your daily activities can be measured in terms of their carbon footprint. For instance, your environmental impact increases with the amount of power usage. Possessions, homes and cars contribute to the impact due to the amount of energy they consume. However, sustainable and renewable resources can assist in reducing the ecological footprint. Where possible, combine this with reducing energy consumption.
You might be wondering what the carbon footprint and sustainable resources are. Carbon footprint is the measure of greenhouse gases emitted due to activities in people’s lives. Sustainable resources are unlimited resources that can be used without running out. For instance, we can use solar energy from sunlight, which won’t run out. Many company employees and consumers get involved in sustainable activities.
Why Sustainability is Important
Sustainable development is very important as it mainly involves developing our current lives without harming and destroying our future. It also calls for collective efforts in protecting our assets and resources in a way that guarantees our future generations a sustainable and healthy living. Everyone in the world is expected to channel their efforts towards developing a resilient and inclusive future.
For sustainable development to be achieved, social inclusion, environmental protection and economic growth must be harmonized. These three elements are co-related and are extremely critical to the wellbeing of our future generations. All ends of the economy must be subjected to similar opportunities and basic living standards so that we continue living alongside the earth and reduce the chances of natural disasters.
How Companies can Reduce their Carbon Footprint
Companies play a critical role in ensuring that that the carbon footprint is reduced. For instance, a company can become carbon-free by reducing air travel, using web-based communication, and recycling paper. All companies are encouraged to view their every activity through an environmental lens. There are some companies that go a step further to set a carbon reduction target and formula.
Supply chain plays a critical role in companies neutralizing the impact caused by carbon emission. A company plays a role in the supply chain if it implements, plans and controls the flow and production of services and goods to get to the user. These services and goods can include information. By neutralizing greenhouse gas emission, a supply chain company becomes carbon neutral.
Implementing Sustainable Innovation: Data and Technology
Data science, machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence play a critical role in helping companies and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint. There are no arguments that innovations around these areas can greatly reduce carbon footprint. For instance, using information management which is a carbon-neutral technology in sustainable efforts reduces carbon emission. This enables companies to monitor carbon emissions using data.
There is also the use of new technologies including 3D-printing which helps organizations to be energy reliant by using only the resources that they need. To help fight against climate change, companies are hiring employees and executives who understand the technology and environmental sustainability. Other companies are now using machine learning models to help them manage efficient transportation of goods and services.
Major Companies that Reduce their Carbon Footprint
Many companies have developed plans to enable them to become carbon neutral. For instance, Amazon has a goal of ensuring 50% of the company’s deliveries have zero carbon footprint at least by 2030. Starbucks has broken its supply chain into consumption, packaging and processing stages to minimize carbon emission. Levi Strauss & Co. (Levi) has a goal of reducing carbon emission by 40%.
Key Areas of Focus to Achieve Sustainability
The world population is increasing by the day. This means that as days go by, the available resources are becoming diminished and failing to keep up with the world’s ever-growing needs. For instance, food shortage and poverty is a very serious issue in third world countries. Minerals are also being diminished globally. This calls for everyone to focus on certain critical areas.
Environmental Control, Land Use, Farming and Recycling
Mining activities have greatly increased in the last few years. Some of the minerals are not eco-friendly. Food shortage can’t be directly attributed to increased population. It is mainly caused by environmental factors including pollution, drought and climate change. Land use is another challenge mainly caused by urban development. There must be measures to diversify land use and control the environment.
Farming is the main solution to the problem of sustainable food supply. Since not everyone wants to be a farmer and produce food, governments must come up with programs that improve the supply of enough food. There are materials such as metals, glass and steel that should not be dumped anywhere. Recycling them can have a double benefit to the global population.
Verdict on Reducing Carbon Footprint
The reduction of carbon in the environment is critical for the survival of our future generations. There are several measures that everyone must implement to ensure that sustainable resources are used to reduce carbon footprint. If there are no good programs towards sustainability, natural resources will diminish. Companies and governments should come up with policies that support green energy and controlled emissions.