The Complex Issue of Sustainability
While Environmental Sustainability is the goal of every responsible business and institution, measuring and then reducing your organization’s carbon and total environmental footprints is not a simple undertaking. There are many diverse issues and complexities to be considered if a sustainable development program is to result in real and measurable reductions in an organization’s impact on the earth’s environment. Some of the key decisions are:
- Should carbon emissions and footprint be the key target of your sustainability program, or are there other environmental impacts such as usage of water and other local natural resources, the availability of arable land, disposal of waste, or other local environmental impacts more critical than carbon
emissions in the areas in which your organization’s facilities are located?
- When carrying out carbon accounting, should only direct emissions be considered, or should indirect emissions also be calculated and targeted for reduction?
- For major carbon reduction projects requiring substantial construction or other investment of our earth’s resources (and added carbon production/emissions), how long does it take to get a carbon and environmental footprint “simple payback” on that initial carbon and environmental footprint investment?
- How does one establish carbon accounting practices now so that they meet the requirements of relevant regulatory bodies and trade organizations today and in the future, and also best position your organization to participate in carbon trading programs when they become available?
Whether your organization already has an established sustainable development program, or is just starting to formalize one, Baseline Sustainability can help you answer these questions and the many others that will arise.