As American political leadership on global environmental protection weakens, the business community has a special responsibility to lead on carbon emission reduction. Businesses that prioritize environmentally friendly practices are not only doing their part to safeguard our planet’s future, they’re also gaining a competitive edge in the market and creating legacies they can be proud of.
Following the “campground rule”
One of the most important aspects of taking corporate responsibility is following the “campground rule”– that is, leaving a place in better shape than you found it. This means that you can control decreasing your environmental impacts by surveying your business to see if you are using resources efficiently and reducing waste. It includes reducing pollution in terms of oil leaks, transport emissions, and even noise produced by your company.
The campground rule should also extend to your suppliers by making sure that you require environmental responsibility from them in terms of practices and packaging. Extend the same responsibility to your customers by encouraging and assisting them in using services and products in an environmentally sensitive way.
Working with the local community, engaging in discussions about environmental issues and raising awareness about various environmental matters will enhance environmental responsibility within the company and community, leaving it a better and cleaner place.
Your corporate legacy
The body of work accumulated over the years determines your business legacy. How you contribute to the growth of the company and the community is part of this legacy. This includes your company’s environmental impact.
Setting up a corporate environmental policy will award you a number of benefits that will contribute to your business legacy. Some of these include staying within the law, which is important as it promotes ethical and legal practices that will make your company unique.
Your employees will benefit from the policy, as they would be able to incorporate the environmental roles and responsibilities not only in the company but also in their community so to improve their general welfare. Having ‘green’ employees can be a big part of your business legacy.
Communicating your environmental priorities
For you to enjoy the benefits of energy efficiency, you should ensure that you communicate your environmental priorities to your board of directors, employees, partners, and customers.
To get started, encourage your employees to take part in the development of priorities to encourage commitment and ownership. This will also enhance the employees’ understanding of the company’s environmental concerns, and the way energy efficiency affects their work. Remember to be open to feedback so that you can improve your priorities to enhance your policies and existence.
To the external stakeholders, you can communicate the environmental policies in the external communication strategy. Consider options such as newspaper advertisements, annual reports and on the company’s website. Ensure you do this proactively so that people can understand your aim of saving the environment.
The best way to communicate your environmental priorities is to live the commitments of your policy. Working and re-working a policy can be beneficial for the future of the company and the environment.
Learn more about communicating your story here. You can also see a few examples of Michigan businesses taking steps toward environmental efficiency on our stories page. We’d love to add yours!
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