INVESTING
IN GREEN GREENER WORKING TAKEN TO THE NEXT LEVEL
It’s said that if you put a frog in boiling water it will immediately jump out, but if you put the frog in cold water and heat it up slowly, it will boil alive. In reality, the frog will jump out as soon as it gets uncomfortable; it appears frogs have more common sense than us.
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oncerns about the environment are increasingly working their way into everyday conversations and newspaper headlines, however pointed questions about whether man-made climate change is real might invite no more than a sage nod and subjects like a new temperature record being broken, or a catastrophe killing thousands may only evoke a furrowed brow before the business of the day proceeds. We are paying for the mistakes of previous generations and if we don’t all move to action our planet will look very different to our grandchildren and beyond, and not for the better. The UK and Ireland are lucky and have escaped the worse climate extremes that other nations have suffered. We haven’t had raging and unpredictable
monsoons, or decade-long droughts. However even in our nations we have experienced flooding; months of rain being dumped in a few hours, and previously tranquil rivers now regularly bursting their banks. Only in 2018 the UK appeared to grind to a stand-still with the arrival of unusually heavy snow, and increasing heatwaves are leading to more deaths every summer. Most people are making personal changes; eating less meat, recycling and not wasting water are all ways in which many people are trying to make a difference. For all those looking to make a change, bringing attention to the office or warehouse can help them not just turn off one lightbulb at night, but thousands. More businesses are working to generate a positive environmental impact or mitigate the effects of irresponsible practices, often saving money in the process.
THERE ARE MYRIAD WAYS THAT YOUR BUSINESS CAN WORK MORE SUSTAINABLY, AFTER YOU’VE INSTALLED THE OBLIGATORY RECYCLING POINTS.
NETWORKS
What are the easiest ways that businesses can save money and think more sustainably? Considering working practices and cutting down on travel, either by encouraging working from home, or video conferencing rather than face to face meetings are two easy ways to have a large impact on the environment and overheads. If you drive 30 miles each day for work, working from home instead could cut your transportation-related carbon dioxide emissions by 3.2 metric tonnes each year.i Co-working is another option growing more popular with smaller businesses and start-ups; Glandore is a co-working space in Cork. Their Director, Clare Kelly says; “Co-working and flexible workspace by their very definition are green. It’s not just a sharing of ideas but of space, heat, light and other resources. Often companies and individuals believe recycling is enough, but as an organisation, we believe it’s important to take it a step further. Naturally we want to increase recycling rates, but the priority is to reduce waste entirely.” Also to be considered is where a business sources it’s furniture, a large outlay for any office. Recycling office equipment can reduce your carbon footprint by 45% and reduce the incredible 300 tonnes of furniture that goes to landfill each day.ii Go Green Office Solutions was created when the founder Shane Hanley noticed the sheer volume of good quality office stock going to landfill each year. Now providing top-quality second-hand office furniture across
