With the effects of climate change becoming more evident, many companies are starting to focus on how to adopt sustainability into their practices. According to a United Nations panel of scientists, emissions must be cut in half within the next 10 years before irreversible changes to the environment settle in. The idea of implementing green practices and adopting sustainability is an overwhelming concept, but it is essential if the environment is to stay under 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Integrating sustainable business practices is essential for all industries if the planet is to stay healthy. Below are five ways that businesses and industries can start switching from wasteful to helpful.

1) Create climate change goals and stick to them

Creating climate change goals is essential to a company's sustainability. One goal could be to pledge to invest in clean energy and transportation. These are essential areas of sustainability that require financial resources before they become widespread. If more businesses pledge to invest in these areas, these green practices will become commonplace faster.

Another goal could be to work towards using only green energy. Organizations must buy and use renewable energy for all facets of their company. There is an obvious need to create deals in renewable energy whenever possible to not only lower the carbon footprint but also encourage the widespread adoption of green energy.

To hold themselves accountable, organizations should create sustainability committees that ensure they are working towards their climate goals. A sustainability committee can research ways to lower their climate change impact and make sure a company is actively working towards those goals.

2) Stop all wasteful and harmful practices

Harmful practices that contribute to climate change span multiple industries. Companies have a responsibility to drive sustainable solutions and stop their unhealthy practices. This includes tackling their own emissions, driving policy changes by backing policies that support climate change, and halting chemical dumping, wasteful plastic use and oil consumption..

A manufacturer’s water footprint is just as important as its carbon footprint. Companies need to understand how they are using water, where they can cut down, if they can all eliminate their freshwater use and how to implement water recycling programs. Creating clean water policies will help boost clean water and lower a company's water footprint. It is important to understand also where their water comes from, because industry water use is often harmful to communities that live near the water source. Companies can create policies that support the community they are affecting and make up any harm being done.

3) Using tech for good and adopting sustainable tech processes

Tech companies can do a lot with physical tech and virtual tech to help fight climate change. Physical tech companies must stop creating inexpensive products that quickly become obsolete. Cheap products create significant waste due to their short lifespan. If companies adapted to creating long-lasting products, a consumer’s average waste production would be significantly lower. Organizations also need to keep the footprint of the products low by using sustainable production methods and materials. Tech companies have a duty to create technologies that will contribute to the growing green movement while staying inexpensive and attractive to customers.

Virtual tech has significant potential for moving the sustainability movement forward. Big technology, like artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to create and research new green practices. Technology can provide open access to high-quality information on sustainability. AI could also be used to detect equipment health, leading to lower rates of equipment failure and less unnecessary waste from frequently replacing machines. Blockchain could be used for peer to peer energy trading, crowdsourcing and deployment of renewable energy. There are many ways that companies can use their tech to support and speed up sustainability research.

4) Shifting the supply chain

The supply chain could contribute to a sustainable future by implementing a circular economy. Circular economies are regenerative and rely on green energy. Anything produced in a circular economy is used for something else. There is little to no dependence on new materials and waste is eliminated. One focus of a circular economy is to keep products and materials in use, even if a material has reached the end of its life in one use. It also focuses on regenerating natural systems, like rivers, oceans and forests, to keep the environment healthy.

Businesses need to be held accountable for their end to end supply chain. Companies can change their end to end supply chains by ending wasteful packaging practices, chemical and waste dumping and unethical sourcing. Businesses need to start implementing recycling programs and provide incentives to employees and customers to encourage recycling. All of these factors are incredibly important to building a healthy future for the environment.

5) Sustainable office practices

Sustainability can start in the office by implementing green practices. One way could be adopting a work from home policy. Many people across the country have been working at home for the past few months due to COVID-19. It has become clear that many office jobs can easily be done at home.

Working from home has been proven to improve employees’ mental health, but it also relieves some pressure on the environment. According to a 2018 U.S. Census Bureau study, the average U.S. work commute is 27 minutes per day and Americans spend nine days per year commuting. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the typical American passenger vehicle emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon per year. By implementing a work from home policy, even just one day a week, the average employee carbon footprint from commuting will be lowered. A full-time work from home policy significantly lower the carbon emissions from commuting, but it would also lower the company’s energy use because they will no longer need to power an office space.

A work from home policy is not the only way that companies can implement sustainable practices in their office. A sustainability committee can implement recycling programs, in-office sustainability classes, publish sustainability newsletters and more. Sustainability movements can be started right in the office.

Working to slow and eventually stop climate change is not an easy task. It takes focused and constant effort by large companies to stop wasteful practices, lower their carbon emissions, encourage employees to live more sustainable lives and even changing the way that industries operate completely. But if more organizations pledge to make an active effort to work towards these ends, the goal becomes attainable.