Sustainable business is here to stay and companies need to gear themselves towards a carbon constrained future, says Tim James, director of local consultancy, sustainableIT.
“Although the climate change conference in Copenhagen failed to achieve its objectives of a binding treaty around carbon emission reductions, actions should be taken now to curb emissions,” says sustainableIT.
The firm cites a statement made earlier this month by a group of US, European, and Australian investors, representing $13 trillion in assets, in which they emphasised the importance of securing a legally-binding agreement on climate change.
The group called for global emission reduction targets of between 50% and 85% by 2050, and urged investors, businesses, and governments not to wait for a global treaty before taking action.
Measure to manage
“In SA, due to the lack of binding legislation, measuring and voluntarily reporting on emissions has been left to the remit of companies on the JSE Top 100, as part of the Carbon Disclosure Project, as well as environmentally conscious companies recognising their responsibilities in this respect,” notes sustainableIT.
According to Teresa Legg, director at sustainableIT, “the cost and complexity of emissions reporting has previously prohibited many businesses from participating in voluntary emissions reporting.”
She adds, however, that every business, no matter how large or small, contributes in some way to climate change. “More accountability and responsible practice needs to be adopted.”
SustainableIT points out that mid-market businesses are beginning to recognise their social responsibilities regarding greenhouse gas emissions, and taking action. Puleng Technologies, an organisation with fewer than 100 staff, has implemented a solution to quantify its carbon footprint.
“Although we are a services-based company, we still produce emissions with the energy we consume, the paper we use, and our travel - both commute and business-related,” says Steve James, director at Puleng. “We recognise that we have an environmental impact and we need to measure it so that we can manage it,” he explains.
Aubrey Davies, MD of Cape-based ISP, I-Soft Net, says while the company is relatively small, measuring its impact has two benefits. “Firstly, it allows us to concentrate on areas where we can become more efficient, with a baseline to measure against. Secondly, it allows us to create awareness with our staff, which will result in downstream environmental benefits within their sphere of influence”.
Given there are an estimated 900 000 small and medium enterprises in SA, the opportunities to reduce emissions within the country are exponential, notes sustainableIT. The firm advises companies to measure first, to ensure ROI is delivered, and benefits are quantified.
“With energy costs continuing to rise, more businesses are expected to focus on energy and carbon reduction initiatives,” it concludes.
Share