How To Be A Compliant And Sustainable-Conscious Business In 2023
It’s 2023 and that means responsibility for sustainability. We all contribute to the world and our environment, which means it’s important to do everything possible as an organisation. While some businesses couldn’t care less about the impact they cause on the world around them, many do.
It’s better to be on the right side of the coin when it comes to worldwide concerns such as sustainability and the environment we live in. Climate change continues to cause problems in the world and we may find it only gets worse the less we do about it.
As a business, it pays to be sustainably conscious and you also want to think about remaining compliant with any laws or regulations that come into play. With that being said, here’s how to be a compliant and sustainable-conscious business in 2023.
Switch to renewable energy
Renewable energy is an important one, especially in this day and age. It’s something to be conscious about, even if you’re not in the position to switch to it just yet. However, talking of energy in general, there are a lot more sustainably-led businesses that exist and that includes within the energy industry itself.
It might be worth taking a look at what businesses now exist and how they might benefit your business going forward. Any small saving that you’re making on the environment, particularly when it comes to your energy usage, is going to make a big difference for the world around you.
Consider what renewable energy currently exists and whether it’s a possibility that your business could make the switch now or at some point later in the year. Switching to renewable energy is certainly exciting and something that can definitely be useful to do.
If you’re passionate about sustainability, look towards renewable energy sources and providers in the future.
Comply with CBAM
A recent legislation that’s part of the European Green Deal is something called the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – CBAM for short.
It’s referred to as the carbon border tax and could affect those who are importing carbon-intensive products imported by the European Union. That means certain industries might be impacted, including your own business. If you deal with iron and steel, fertiliser, cement, electricity and other carbon-heavy materials, you may be subject to this tax.
It’s something to be aware of and to take seriously as you step into a business within this industry. If you’ve not already become aware of it, now is the time to take note of what it means for your business and what compliance methods will be needed. This is something that could financially impact your business but it can also help to be proactive in making your business more eco-friendly in the future.
Offer options to recycle and reuse
Recycling and reusing are good ways of helping bring more benefits to the environment we live in. There are lots of recycling and reuse methods available that are definitely worth embracing as a business.
For example, you may want to speak to specialist businesses that can collect any and everything you are looking to recycle. Reusing is something that you also want to do more of when it comes to your business operations too. There’s often a lot of wastage when it comes to a business too, which is why you want to be proactive with your efforts.
Think about how you can encourage everyone within the work premises to be proactive with recycling their waste for the better. The more you can do, the better.
Educate your employees
Your employees are responsible to some degree, for the sustainability and eco-friendliness of your business. It’s easy for employees to not do much when they’re not incentivised. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of education and encouragement from peers or from the organisation they work for themselves.
Think about how you could educate your own employees when it comes to being sustainably conscious and providing them with helpful resources. Putting these processes in place will certainly help them to become more productive with their efforts.
For example, if you’re wanting them to recycle packaging, make sure the bins are labelled clearly with recycling icons and general waste.
Look into cycling schemes
In order to maximise your company’s potential for sustainable-friendly practices, it’s useful to introduce any popular schemes that other businesses have introduced.
For example, what about cycling schemes for your employees? Encouraging your employees to take to cycling to work rather than getting the bus or train, might be a viable option for many. It could also be boosted with incentives that you can offer to your employees for taking this opportunity and contributing to a greener environment.
While cycling might not be for everyone, many businesses, especially those located in the cities, are embracing cycling as a greener mode of transport. Many businesses are making use of this scheme and finding ways to motivate their staff to embrace this new way of travelling.
Find new best practices for sustainability
If you’re looking to practice sustainability as a business, then it’s good to be proactive in yourself to find new opportunities. Look at what other businesses may be doing to embrace sustainability and use these as a springboard for your own ideas. There’s always something that you could be doing to improve your business operations.
Think about everything that could be done to improve sustainability and a greener life for your business. Find something to focus on every year and if it’s possible, build up a green team within the business who are responsible for proactively making the company greener.
Go paperless
If you’re looking to be more sustainable and greener in your practices, go paperless. It may seem like a big jump but it’s something that’s actually very easy to do. Not everyone needs paper nowadays when it comes to documents and most are online. You may find going paperless a lot easier than expected.
These tips are a great way for your business to embrace sustainability and compliance. Make sure to use them for your business this year.
