As the global temperature continues rising, individuals feel compelled to take the initiative and shrink their carbon footprints. While residents do their best to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, their environmental impacts are less significant than corporate sustainability efforts. Consumers are recognizing the effects of the manufacturing and distribution practices associated with their product purchases.
Individuals are now holding corporations accountable for their ecological impacts and changing the consumer market. Companies can maintain success in their industries by adopting net-zero goals. They engage in five transitional steps to eliminate their product of greenhouse gas emissions.
1. Receive an Energy Audit
The first step to achieving net-zero emissions is receiving an energy audit. Professionals can conduct audits on a business’s manufacturing facilities, offices and other related structures to identify their power usage rating. The auditor looks at a structure’s envelope, water heater, insulation, systems and appliances to identify its energy use standing.
Professionals may also identify other areas contributing to resource exploitation. They can access specific emission and water use data to support efficiency enhancement measures. Before corporations physically alter their production systems or workspaces, they may develop a detailed net-zero goal.
2. Develop Net-Zero Targets
Many companies are following global greenhouse gas emission targets as a template for their net-zero targets. The United Nations established the Paris Agreement in 2015 and defined a goal of reducing emissions over the coming decades. They plan on achieving global carbon neutrality by 2050.
Corporations can develop a detailed timeline with an annual target to help them stay in line with their sustainability goals. They may also access financial support from government incentives to adopt advanced efficiency technology. Creating progress tracking systems can hold companies accountable for their emission-reduction efforts.
3. Engage Your Employees
The next step towards establishing a carbon-neutral company is engaging its employees. Corporations may begin developing low-impact production methods by hiring eco-conscious employees. Acquiring a staff with shared values helps companies access unique perspectives and lower emissions.
Businesses can also engage their employees in their sustainability goals by offering educational programs. The programs may highlight the top emission production or resource exploitation practices on the job. After identifying the leading causes of pollution, employees can mindfully monitor and decrease their adverse environmental effects.
4. Install Energy Efficient Technologies
Corporations are also achieving net-zero emissions by installing energy-efficient systems in their offices and production facilities. Many building owners are installing smart thermostats to reduce energy loss using the Internet of Things (IoT). The devices connect to a structure’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
They access weather predictions in real-time using the internet to regulate indoor temperatures. On cool summer nights, the thermostat may detect climate changes and shut off an HVAC system. Corporations can also minimize resource exploitation by installing rainwater harvesting systems.
Rainwater harvesting systems collect storm runoff in barrels. Depending on the water’s potential use, a pump filters the liquid to irrigation systems or filters. Advanced purification technologies can convert the stormwater into accessible, non-potable supplies which decreases a corporation’s reliance on city water sources.
5. Offset Excess Emissions
The final step to achieve complete carbon neutrality is offsetting excess emissions. Business owners offset their emissions using a variety of tactics. Many companies counteract their pollution by contributing financially to reforestation projects.
Other corporations fund wind and solar farm development to increase their communities’ access to emission-free electricity. Some businesses also engage in carbon capturing to trap and store their pollution before it reaches the atmosphere. When individuals eliminate more emissions than they produce, they can achieve neutrality and create a net-zero company.
The Benefits of Establishing Net-Zero Emission Goals
When corporations engage in emission-reduction practices, they decrease their utility costs. They can also improve the safety of construction projects by installing low-risk appliances and systems. Companies may also improve the health and well-being of residents in their area by decreasing air pollution.
As corporations lower the number of emissions in the air, they minimize individuals’ risk of asthma and other respiratory illnesses. They also increase the profitability of their business by meeting eco-consumer demands. When companies establish net-zero goals they gain a leg up on their competitors to increase their stability in their industries.
See more posts from Jane Marsh at environment.co
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