We have all heard and seen the adverts for carbon emission and foot printing. However, a lot of us do not know what all of these information and warnings mean. What is a carbon footprint and how do we reduce it? One thing that some of us may know is that it has some connection to climate change and if we do not act now we could be looking at a bleak future. Therefore, we need to understand effective carbon management techniques.
First of all what is carbon footprint? This is the process of the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions by an individual, group, event or organisation. This is believed to be adding to the dramatic climate change, known as the greenhouse effect. These emissions can be either direct, use of fuels, or indirect from individuals travelling to work or from organisations and their supply chains. Carbon management organisations have taken the initiative t into helping large organisations to reduce their carbon footprint.
Direct emissions can from industries and factories that result in combustion of fuels, gas emissions during operation, running of large vehicle fleets and production or manufacturing. These can also include heavy usage of electricity and appliances, heating and lighting that consume a lot of fuel. Indirect emissions include companies and organisations that are in production but have very little control over the emissions.
For large organisations and businesses, carbon management is not an easy step and can often mean a change in structure. These steps will however, mean a long-term goal for ongoing energy and environmental efficiency, therefore, it could also mean ample money saving for the company. The key is to recognise where most of the emissions come from; these are often gas, heating, electricity and transport. Fortunately, there are a few easy steps to get your company started.
Calculate how much you are using, measure the amount of electricity used and where you are using this. Workout how much of the day you need heating and find alternatives to conserving heat into the building. Some industries need to combust fuels as a result gas emissions are likely to be high. There you need to recognise exactly how much is emitted and how you can, best reduce this.
Making changes such as being more energy efficient is a good way of beginning the carbon management process. If you find you are spending more on heating and electricity, reduce the usage and look for alternatives. Instead of having normal radiators, try using under floor heating systems, which can act as a cooling system during the summer. Furthermore, you will also need to measure how much electricity you use. This is something you cannot always help but it will initially be something to look into and research alternatives.
Another approach is to measure your own transport usage. Those that own their car and use it to travel into work may not even realise that this adding to the carbon emissions. Therefore, finding alternatives such using public transport, sharing rides, or if possible walking or riding a bike, will help reduce these emissions dramatically.
Companies can approach carbon management organisations to help begin this step to reduce their carbon footprint. These normally include training for staff and in depth understanding of the consequences of carbon emission and climate change. More research and proactive approaches will ensure long-term energy efficiency.
When you study history, you see that the challenges society faces are cyclical in nature. If you get nostalgic for the good old days, watch the local television station that rebroadcasts shows from the 70's. You might notice the hot issues look awfully familiar: saving the environment, the energy crisis, race relations, immigration.
The buzz words have changed: global warming, carbon footprints, diversity. But the issues remain as thorny and controversial as ever. In the case of global warming, arguments rage on, with standard bearers on both sides questioning each other's agendas, and the very validity of the issue itself.
Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of belief and philosophy, one thing seems to be clear: ?going green? has become a mandate for business. It's time to take stock and consider how to approach this issue. Your business systems ? ERP, Accounting, Human Resources - can help you turn this challenge into an opportunity.
As you use your IT and software technology to track the direction your carbon footprint is taking you, consider these benefits to going green.
? Despite the perception that greening a business is expensive, going green and staying in the black are not actually mutually exclusive. Very basic, easily achieved green practices can help the environment and improve the bottom line: turn off lights and computers when not in use, recycle paper. Look for creative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. Use your accounting systems to track the costs of a lighting retrofit versus the reduction in your utility bill. If you are more ambitious, look into having your staff do more telecommuting. Tools like web-cams, internet chat/instant messaging, and online project management applications, can make telecommuting a more effective solution.
? Being ecologically responsible has become something of a marketing tool. More and more consumers are looking for companies that are known for their green products or practices. Even Wal-Mart has become famous as the world's largest producer of organic cotton goods, and Nike gets press for grinding up and recycling its old shoes into safer playground materials for children. But beware: eco-savvy consumers can sniff out an overinflated claim. That's why it's important to have documented results, and this is where your ERP system can help you. Use it to track the amount of waste reduction in your manufacturing process, or if you are adding more warehouses to cut down on fuel-driven distribution costs, use it to separately track and compare costs. With verifiable results there will be no need to be humble about your green contributions.
? You can enhance your image and reputation by taking a leadership position on this issue. Perhaps you could rank your suppliers based on their eco-sense, or use more green products. Use your Accounts Payable systems to give your vendors a ?green? rating and then track purchases according to this rating to later report results. This can give your company a competitive advantage, and make it stand out for all the right reasons.
? This is an ideal opportunity to get your employees involved. Going green is a grass roots operation, so turn to your employees for ideas and suggestions on how to run the business in a more eco-friendly way. In addition to giving them a sense of ownership, it will increase their pride in the company they work for. Not only might you be amazed at the quality of the suggestions, but you will probably get a lot more cooperation in making the necessary changes. Make sure you set up automated systems to allow tracking of suggestions, participation in cost-saving programs, etc. Many human resources packages can track an employee's input, which can then be used in evaluations or as a basis of additional monetary compensation or non-monetary perks.
We may have new jargon to describe the problem thirty years from now, but chances are we'll still be grappling with the issue. Certainly for the time being, going green is not going away. It might make sense to use all the tools in our toolbox to tackle this one now.
If you need help adapting your ERP, Accounting, or Human Resources Management systems to track and manage your going-green efforts, email me at solutions@ACIconsulting.com or visit us at www.ACIconsulting.com. I'll put our team to work on it!
Both Anna Stenning & Douglas Luchansky are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Anna Stenning has sinced written about articles on various topics from computers and the internet, Management and Wedding Gifts. Anna Stenning is knowledgeable about , having already taken steps to reduce her carbon footprint.. Anna Stenning's top article generates over 4090000 views. to your Favourites.
Douglas Luchansky has sinced written about articles on various topics from Tax Software, Environment and Customer Service. Douglas Luchansky is the President of , a reseller for ERP related software and services such as. Douglas Luchansky's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.