World Consumption Day: These 3 actions can be taken by your company to protect our planet.

2. August 2017

World Consumption Day: These 3 actions can be taken by your company to protect our planet.

2. August 2017

World Consumption Day indicates the day in the year on which all resources would be exhausted, i.e. we would need a second earth, calculated for a full year.

So World Consumption Day is every year a little earlier - until we manage to protect more than we consume from the earth. According to the WWF, there are three options for the end consumer to live more sustainably and thus advance the date of World Exhaustion Day: "Buy green, consume less and eat less meat," is the recommendation for private individuals.

But what can companies do,
to make their contribution?

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1. save resources

The conservation of resources is no longer just about not leaving the tap open for too long. Especially for transport-intensive companies, the conservation of resources has a great lever in terms of sustainability. There are many innovative transport methods and technologies for a smarter and therefore more efficient process. In container management, a lot can be gained with smart software. It is therefore worthwhile - not only for companies that have a lot of transport in their value chain - to regularly keep an eye out for new technology.

But increasing material efficiency and monitoring and optimizing energy consumption can also have a big impact. In addition, every company should regularly ask itself the questions as to which hazardous substances are part of its value chain and whether they cannot be replaced? Substitutes are often not only more environmentally friendly, but also more efficient.

2. create awareness for CSR and sustainability in the corporate culture

Some business leaders are still allergic to the term "sustainable corporate culture". But wrongly so - because well-trained employees today no longer only demand company cars and an attractive salary, no - they demand one thing above all: sense. This also means that they work for a company that exerts a positive influence on society as a whole. If sustainability and corporate responsibility become part of the company's DNA, then we are committed together to something great, if not the very greatest - our planet and its inhabitants. This creates a level of satisfaction and employee loyalty that hardly any company can do without.

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As a result, employees will not only become increasingly attentive to the use of resources in everyday (working) life, but will also become multipliers in their private environment.

But how do you create such a sustainable corporate culture? The key word is "talking to each other".

Create communication through events, intranets, e-mails or communication media such as office supplies. In addition to the request not to print out e-mails in the binder, there may also be a link to externally accessible sustainability information. Ballpoint pens can show that they are made of renewable materials and should therefore be looked after particularly well, and so on and so forth. A brainstorming session in the office supplies issue and you notice that there are hardly any limits to your imagination in order to get the topic of sustainability into the heads of your employees quite simply.

Set a good example as a company - employees are also resources that need to be nurtured and used with care: There are many measures that do not cost much, but have a big impact on the satisfaction of the people in the company.

A holiday program, for example, contributes to family friendliness and takes the burden and guilty conscience off parents' shoulders.
An offer of high-quality organic meals in the canteen reduces sick days and allows employees to work more productively. Of course, a healthy person is more resilient and a balanced diet makes a significant contribution to this.

And so there are countless possibilities that your employees are guaranteed to appreciate.

3. select sustainable suppliers

It is not only in themselves that companies can take action when it comes to preserving our planet. Manufacturing companies in particular can also exert a great deal of influence indirectly by selecting their suppliers. If companies pay attention to the environmental compatibility of their suppliers, other advantages often go hand in hand. A shorter transport route not only reduces CO2 emissions, but can also have the positive side effect that deliveries can be made more flexibly and quickly, thus reducing opportunity and storage costs. In concrete terms, when selecting suppliers your company can attach importance not only to distance but also to the fact that unused raw materials can be returned or reused.

But even the small things can make big changes - in the medium to long term. For example, it is also worth buying fair coffee in the offices and canteen. By the way: With a small note on the coffee machine, you can also strengthen the sustainable awareness of your employees.

Is your company doing enough in terms of sustainability? CSR - Controlling and KPIs for Sustainability show you.

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The life cycle assessment and a sustainability report, for example according to the new CSR directive of the EU or the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), are two good measuring instruments for companies when it comes to CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) or CR. However, in the day-to-day business of a company there are usually far more sustainability measures, the potential of which is often not discovered at all. With modern sustainability software such as Verso, you can uncover these potentials and communicate them to your stakeholders at the same time. Sustainability managers also save time and effort in day-to-day administration and can therefore take care of the further development of sustainability management or CSR management.