Articles
We are living in a world scarred by human-induced climate change. Still, there is hope that the gloomiest forecast can be averted. However, it is necessary to work together at every level. The fate of our planet also depends on how your business is run, and major companies on the market are aware of this dependence.
Violent weather phenomena, dwindling resources and problems with access to water are the new daily reality in numerous regions of the world.
It is no secret that for at least a dozen years now the scientific world has been vocal about climate change and global warming. Indeed, the existence of these phenomena is a fact that cannot be disputed. The global scientific consensus has established that our planet is warming as a result of industrial human activity. Exploitation of fossil fuels, stemming mainly from massive energy consumption and eco-unfriendly travel habits, is the main reason for this.
Meanwhile, the consequences of such developments are truly disastrous. In the worst case scenarios, there is even talk of a problem with access to water in the next few decades (including in Europe). People are expected to migrate to other regions of the world because it will no longer be possible to live in their current locations. Precious natural habitats of flora and fauna are also threatened to suffer a loss.
How do things look as for 2022? In February of this year, the second part of the famous report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was made public. The document entitled “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” reveals new facts. Experts identify the need to reduce emissions as early as 2025. This is the only way to offset the forecasted warming by 1.5°C.
As you can read in the report: Reducing global warming will require major changes in the energy sector. This will involve a significant reduction in the use of fossil fuels, widespread electrification, improved energy efficiency and the use of alternative fuels (such as hydrogen). Experts also highlight the significance of new technologies today to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
The time for change is now, and it needs to be embraced by state governments, NGOs, and the wider business community. Being “green in business” may be associated by some with ignorance and inexperience. Still, it is worth rephrasing and disenchanting such a term. After all, these days a “green” company is a brand that acts consciously and takes a broad look, mindful not only of current savings, but also of nature and future generations.
There are already new trends on the market. Those who do not implement “green” solutions are lagging behind: both in terms of competitiveness and image among customers.
This is well understood by the major players, including the Google corporation. The company has been a consistent contributor to sustainability for years. Lately it has stepped out with another “novelty”: the launch of an ECO mode in one of its most famous products, Google Maps. For some time now, a green leaf has been informing users of the app about which route to take for reduced gasoline, oil or electricity consumption.
Savings are illustrated by a percentage value. As an example, a route from point A to point B with eco-mode can involve up to a few percent reduction in wasted propellants.
Similar visualizations are also already being shown by popular air travel search engines. Kayak, for example, has launched a “Least CO2” filter in its search engine. This will tell the user which flight is the most eco-friendly, to help make better travel decisions. As the company’s report reveals, this coincides with actual customer needs, as up to 80 percent of those surveyed wish to travel in a more sustainable way
TAURON Polska Energia S.A. is a key stakeholder in the Polish energy industry. For years, they have been committed to pro-environmental activities, such as the #ZielonyZwrot (GreenTurn) program featured on their website.
Their goal is for the energy offered to consumers to be mainly derived from renewable sources: wind farms, photovoltaic plants, hydroelectric plants and gas-fired power plants. They are also developing hydrogen projects and a network of electric car chargers.
TAURON’s goals include:
The immediate goal of these and many other measures at TAURON is to attain business climate neutrality.
The concern to show what impact our actions have on the environment is a positive move forward. Especially since it is something that is receiving attention today.
Roughly 70 percent of Poles want brands to take specific sustainability measures (GfK’s “Green Mood” report).
Other data indicates that more than half of consumers in key global markets say their purchasing decisions are influenced by companies’ ESG performance (SEC Newgate Research report). Thus, they are inclined to boycott brands which score poorly there.
It’s becoming clear that consumers expect companies to follow “green” guidelines, and companies benefit from sharing information about greener alternatives. But how can they do this? For example, using IPOE, the Intelligent Energy Optimization Platform from APA.
The platform automatically generates reports on energy savings and CO2 reduction. Based on this, it is easy to determine how green a given company is. This can be proudly presented on the company’s website under the CSR tab. Stimulating graphics in the form of bars and graphs will perfectly illustrate how “green” a brand’s operations are.
Using in-house methods and measurement programs that have already been successful for a given company is highly advisable. But IPOE offers something more, as it shows not only what the consumption of utilities is, but also indicates how green a particular business is. It can be definitely said that IPOE is a kind of “greenness indicator” well worth investing in.