Imagine that while you have been enrolled in this course, you have realized there are no sustainability initiatives at the company you work for.
Imagine that while you have been enrolled in this course, you have realized there are no sustainability initiatives at the company you work for. You mentioned your interest in implementing a sustainability initiative for the company that demonstrates environmentally supportive practices that also make financial sense to the business.
The chief executive officer likes your idea, and she said that before creating a sustainability program at your company, it is important to understand the laws and regulations that will influence your company’s sustainable practices. In order to do this, you are tasked with learning about various environmental laws and regulations and how they might be relevant to the company.
Research the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and 1 other environmental law or regulation of your choice. The law or regulation you choose may be a local or state regulation, or another federal law or regulation.
Reference the “Professional Email Etiquette” video for tips on composing emails.
Write a 1- to 2-page email to the director of human resources in which you detail your chosen initiative and the environmental regulations that support your initiative as a good idea for the company to pursue.
Use the template provided.
In the email: Introduce yourself and the purpose of this specific email.
Describe the new initiative you suggest and why it’s important to the company and community.
Describe how the 3 laws or regulations your researched support your initiative. For each law or regulation, include the title, a description of the law or regulation, and how environmental science influenced its development.
With climate change on the rise, many businesses are introducing sustainability initiatives. Any restaurant, school, hospital, or corporation can commit to increased social responsibility. Consider your facility’s cleaning products, supply chain, and energy use. Is there more you could be doing?
Each building and business is different, so each sustainability initiative will be unique. However, the basic steps are the same whether you run a doctors office, daycare, or cafe. Start by forming a committee of managers, cleaning staff, and other building users. The committee then works together on the following tasks:
What the committee focuses on will vary depending on the industry. In general, you’ll want to look at cleaning products, resources, and consumption.
Conduct an audit to determine what cleaning and paper products your facility uses, then research green-certified alternatives. Your distributor can help you identify sustainable products that fit your needs. When applicable, opt for concentrated cleaning solutions. Diluting on-site reduces packaging waste and fuel consumption from transport. You can consolidate the number of different cleaners by selecting multi-purpose products.
The vast majority of environmental impact in the consumer sector comes from the supply chain. Examine where your products are coming from and work closely with your supplier to choose products that lessen your environmental impact. For example, many businesses are shifting to buy more locally-sourced products.
Consider the production practices of the manufacturer.
Find out if products are:
Commercial buildings account for nearly 40 percent of the US energy consumption. The average business spends a quarter of their annual energy use on heating the building. Other big consumers are lighting, cooling, cooking, and computing. Conduct an audit to see where you’re using the most electricity.
Let’s look at four low-cost ways to lower energy use.
A sustainability initiative can reduce the environmental impact of cleaning supplies, shipping, and energy use. Many schools, restaurants, hospitals, and offices are finding innovative ways to lower their carbon footprint. With thoughtful planning, sustainable business practices can help save money and the environment.