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The signs have been around for a long time. Now people finally seem to be waking up to the threat posed by global warming. Last week, Nicholas Stern, the British government’s chief economist, delivered an ominous report on climate change, arguing that developed nations must cut emissions from burning oil and coal by between 60% and 80% by ’50.
“If we take no action to control emissions, each tonne of carbon dioxide that we emit now is causing damage worth at least $85,” Stern said as his report was released in London. “These costs are not included when investors and consumers make decisions about how to spend their money.”
There is still room to argue about how fast the environment is being destroyed. Nobody can dispute it is happening, though. So what can you do at work to reduce your own carbon footprint?
It isn’t that hard. Here are 10 ways you could make a start today.
One: Forget about that sales meeting in Frankfurt. There is no more pointless or wasteful human activity than platoons of business people trooping off to airports every week so they can all gather in an anonymous hotel and moan about the boss while pretending to be working. OK, so it’s a relief to escape the wife and kids for a few days, but hardly worth destroying the planet for. How about investing in some teleconferencing equipment instead?
Two: Change your expenses policy. Lots of people use planes for business travel because they are faster and more comfortable, and you can collect air miles for the next family holiday. How about telling staff they can go first-class if they use the train for a business trip, but they can only travel coach if they go by plane? It will be amazing how fast their bookings change.
Three: Switch off those lights. It is striking how you can wander around any city centre late at night and see office buildings ablaze with lights. Tell everybody that they have to switch them off as they leave the office. Even better, fix the lighting so it cuts out automatically at 10 pm — it is impossible for people to think straight later than that, and they would be better off going home anyway.
Four : Review your supply chain. We have all grown used to buying fresh vegetables flown halfway around the world when we go to the supermarket. How about the stuff on our desk? Most of us have no idea where any of it comes from. So make sure that as many goods as possible are being sourced locally or from environmentally responsible suppliers. You may even wonder if you really need those yellow post-it notes. Send an e-mail instead.
Five: Unplug the computer. How many of us can even remember that these things have an off switch? Instead we just leave them on permanent stand-by. By switching them off when we’re not using them, we can start cutting down on power consumption.
Six: Get rid of the plasma screens. When did it become fashionable to plaster office walls with great big plasma screens tuned to 24-hour channels? You can keep up-to-date with the latest happenings on the Web. Unless you’re in the news business, you don’t need it following you around all day.
Seven: Turn off the air-conditioning. Where does it say that people have to be slightly chilly to get their work done? We can understand why an office building in Hong Kong needs the air-con on during July. It is less clear why you need it in London in March.
We have all been to offices where you can walk there in your shirt sleeves, then have to put on your jacket when you arrive because it’s cold. It’s crazy. Ask them to switch it off.
Eight: If you can’t cut, offset. There are plenty of ways to compensate for those carbon emissions you can’t avoid. If the flight to New York is vital, make up for it by paying for some trees to be planted elsewhere. Or instead of driving the car to work every day this month, take public transport.
Nine: Give people an incentive. It is easy for a company to target lower carbon use. It is harder to achieve it. So make it an explicit financial goal and award everyone a bonus — as long as they meet the target.
Ten: Don’t go to the office at all. You burn up gasoline getting there and back. Resources are used providing you with a desk and computer. And all so you can keep an eye on your employees. Why not let everyone work from home at least one day a week — after all, it will be one less day they have to complain to each other about their boss.
You don’t need to be signed up to a vegan, anti-capitalist agenda to be worried about global warming. Indeed, a few simple steps will make a big difference. Who knows, they might even make your business more efficient as well.
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