Thanks to the UN, which boldly launched the era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, we have not only become aware of the huge impact we can have. We also truly believe that each and every one of us can make a difference. So, what do you think about the fight for sustainability?
Is it time?
More than half of consumers surveyed by Mintel in July across 16 countries agree that there’s still time to save the planet from catastrophic temperature rises – and that their own actions can make a difference. What’s more, almost half would like to see eco-labelling on products.
Provide a new environmental data tracking platform that uses Google Cloud’s big data analytics and WWF’s raw materials expertise to rate textiles with environmental scores.
SaladStop
https://saladstop.com.sg/sustainability/
Puts carbon emissions on the menu
For newcomers to the market, this is an opportunity that can be seized. It makes sense, because the market opportunities based on the SDGs are growing. Consumers will seek to meet their own ethical benchmarks by identifying with brands that promote sustainability.
But there is a long way to go from consumer intent to purchase behaviour. The mass market doesn’t change that quickly. As Tesco found out after its 2008 labelling trial, which was dropped in 2012 due to the resources required to accurately calculate the footprint of each product – and the fact that no other major retailer had followed suit.
Well, that depends. Yes, conscious consumerism is here to stay – and several brands have led the way in sustainability, such as:
Heallabel
https://healabel.com
Provide a free app that quickly estimates the social and environmental impact of a product.
Tenzing Natural Energy
https://tenzingnaturalenergy.com
A plant-based energy drink that has introduced carbon labelling on its cans.
Greenchoice
https://www.greenchoicenow.com
Is an online grocery app that has used third-party data to apply food ratings to 350,000 consumer products.
Standardisation
The key challenge is standardisation – the answer to how we seamlessly assess the carbon footprint of a product or service. Developing such a standard will take an enormous amount of time due to its extreme complexity and resource requirements. Until then, everyone has their own method, to the detriment of the consumer.
Some early entrants are trying to address standardisation, such as:
FoudationEarth
https://www.foundation-earth.org
Provides a scheme that shows the environmental impact of products.
And while we applaud the spirit and courage of FoundationEarth and others, we don’t have to just sit and wait. Your brand can lead by example, but expect a significant upfront investment. If you are tempted to position yourself early and build a strong relationship with customers based on sustainable values, here are some ideas to get you started:
Some notes to get you started
The burning of fossil fuels is the main source of man-made carbon dioxide emissions. Think about all the ways your business uses electricity and fuel – the electricity to run your offices, shops and facilities; the vehicles used to transport goods and the machinery used to make them; or the servers that host your platform or website. Also consider the extraction of raw materials at the start of your supply chain.
Remember that your carbon footprint is only part of your company’s environmental footprint. A carbon footprint is about your carbon emissions. It does not measure your use of natural resources or the waste your company produces – although these can affect the results of the calculation.
Collect data on quantities
Collect any electricity and gas bills, add up the mileage travelled by your team and products (along with the mode of transport), and calculate the total quantities and weights of products produced, broken down by key component materials.
Calculate a footprint
Convert it to carbon emissions. A specialist sustainability consultant will probably have access to detailed databases with highly specific data that could lead to a more accurate calculation. But you can work out rough figures in-house. Look for sources of emission factors (e.g. transport, electricity and waste, emission factors for materials, etc.). There are also many online calculators that can do the conversion for you.
Look for potential reduction opportunities
Once you have your footprint, look at the results to identify opportunities to reduce your footprint. For businesses with physical products, the way you transport your goods can make a big difference to your footprint. For a business with a lot of space, reducing energy use is probably the way to go. Find out how you can limit your carbon footprint by searching for resources such as:
The Carbon Literacy Project
https://carbonliteracy.com.
Or check out resources like these to benchmark against:
Planetly
https://www.planetly.com
Provide an easy-to-use platform that unifies the entire carbon management process in one.
Carbonfact
https://www.carbonfact.co
Start-up plans to track the carbon footprint of every product in the world.
Buy offsets
Critics of offsets often point out that offsets absolve organisations of environmental guilt without forcing any serious changes to their business. However, as long as you are thinking about reductions first, some offsetting of your footprint is better than none. Buy them from a provider like:
Carbonfund.org
https://carbonfund.org
Prices range from DKK 20 to DKK 100 per offset (1 offset = reduction of one tonne of carbon emissions), depending on the project you wish to support.
Establish a process
Set up a process that makes it easy to repeat the exercise when you launch a new product. Establish a framework so that you process the data in a similar way each time for comparison purposes.