In the current climate, both economic and environmental, it makes sense for a business to focus on their waste management. Firms can save a considerable amount of money by implementing more efficient ways of working but there are other benefits to be gained from being more environmentally friendly or reducing your businesses’ carbon footprint.
There is a great deal of branding, image and publicity elements wrapped up in how “green” a business is. Many consumers make buying decisions based upon the impact of the environment and a firm that is working diligently to reduce their carbon footprint may well make more sales. A firm can also set their own targets, mark themselves out as being an environmentally friendly company and perhaps even be in line for recognition or rebates from local authorities.
When it comes to reducing a firm’s carbon footprint and working towards having a more effective Environmental Management System (EMS) in place, it can be helpful to utilise the criteria provide by ISO14001:2004. This provides a framework for a business to set up or improve their very own EMS, offering confidence to all employees and management level staff that the impact on the environment is being properly measured, managed and improved. This information can also be relayed to customers or stakeholders outside of the firm, boosting the company’s image or identity.
Some of the most obvious benefits of implementing ISO14001:2004 include:
- Reducing the cost of waste management
- Implementing more effective distribution routes and plans, saving money
- Lowering the use of energy and materials, saving money in the process
- Improving the image and identity of the business
When a firm has a continuous improvement plan in place, it is easy to ensure that everyone in the firm is working towards the same goals and the firm can achieve success more readily. Improving a business’s carbon footprint is one way to achieve increased profitability and this is why using the ISO14001:2004 is a sensible idea.
Businesses need to be able to calculate their carbon footprint
The first step in improving your businesses carbon footprint is being able to calculate it and this is one of the major benefits of the ISO14001:2004. Businesses implementing this system will be able to report on their carbon footprint and be able to verify it. A firm that can disseminate environmental information and raise awareness around their firm will develop confidence and an assured way of working to all employees. The range of ISO systems provide a great deal of confidence and information to employees, which will ensure that a business can work towards an environmental goal in the right manner. Regardless of how much traveling or distribution a firm undertakes, knowing the current carbon footprint and understanding how it is developed creates the platform for improving the current level.
Having this Environmental Management System in place is a positive factor because it demonstrates that your business is taking their impact on the environment very seriously. Many consumers, rivals and industry watchdogs are keen to see if a firm is committed to environmental management and if they are taking steps to move towards certification for their Environmental Management System. Knowing and reducing your carbon footprint is one of the most obvious ways to move in the right direction and it should be seen that there are a number of ways to improve profitability.
This means that a firm which has not had the biggest level of environmental focus can gain a genuine benefit from doing so. It would be wrong to say that every firm is motivated by the environmental issues at stake but it would be fair to say that most businesses are focused on making profits and providing customers with what they are looking for. The use of the ISO14001:2004 Environmental Management System gives a firm the knowledge, understanding and opportunity to meet all of these aims in one move. This is why firms should be keen to reduce their carbon footprint through the effective use of Environmental Management Systems.
