If you often perform acts of kindness like helping your old neighbours mowing their lawn, donating to charity or tutoring children, you’ve also experienced the little rush of dopamine that comes after each deed. Giving back is good for you and makes your community a better place. You don’t need to wait for the next January to make a resolution form giving back to society; you can set meaningful goals for your organisation at any time of the year.
Companies have been talking the sustainability talk for almost a decade now, mostly under the pressure of the authorities. But there are moral motivations for transforming an organisation into a green one. To name a few, you’ll save the planet, reverse the effect of climate change, protect flora and fauna and build a better world. Isn’t it enough? Let’s take a step further and name some financial motivations because they’d persuade even the less sustainability-interested entrepreneur. Eco-friendly operations make business sense because they attract customers, save money, boost employee satisfaction, and help manage and mitigate risk.
Now, you’re curious to find out how going green helps your company grow faster.
Why should brands explore the latest workplace sustainability trends?
For someone who cares for the environment, the simple mention the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free by the middle of the century would be enough to motivate them to adopt the latest workplace eco-friendly trends. But for a company that focuses on income first, it’s best to highlight that 2020 is the year when brands no longer have to choose between making profit and do-gooding because they create a perfect balance. In fact, studies show that the organisations that adopt the latest sustainability trends grow faster. Why?
Your customers care about the way you manage your business. People are more sensitive to environmental problems these days, and they demand eco-friendly products and manufacturing. Millennials and Gen Z are more willing to support eco-friendly companies with 73% and 72% and spend more on sustainable services and products.
Using fossil fuels costs you more because they are scarcer every year. On the other hand, renewable energy resources are inexhaustible and cost less. Integrating a sustainability plan to your manufacturing scheme can boost efficiency, product quality, and benefit the company’s bottom line.
A LinkedIn survey reports that 75% of job seekers prefer to work for companies that have sustainability programs. So, as you can see, it’s worth to at least take a look at the hottest workplace sustainability trends to see if you can integrate one of them in your operations.
Are you ready to discover some of the trends that will change business in 2020?
Companies set carbon neutral targets
In 2019, we witnessed the public asking governments, companies and organisations about their carbon footprint. Until the market didn’t ask to find more, brands didn’t feel necessary to detail the scheme they want to follow to achieve zero carbon. But with employees and clients asking this question precisely, they set targets and deadlines and share with their clients, their efforts to cut emissions.
One of the changes that allow them to achieve their goal is cloud migration because it reduces the number of devices they use on-site and lowers their impact. Cloud migration also reduces the need for business travel because employees can access data remotely.
Companies promote sustainable business travel
Many bands cut down their CO2 footprint by analysing their travel needs and cutting unnecessary trips, picking cleaner alternatives, and managing journeys. These measures make up for the most significant emission reductions and financial savings, but organisations shouldn’t stop here.
They can also communicate their sustainable policies with their public and employees, and guide them to follow their example. This way, they differentiate their brand positively on the market and grow in the eyes of prospective employees and customers.
Partner with sustainable brands
Brands should realise they cannot hit sustainability targets if they lack the support of other environmentally aware parties. So, they need to grow connections and develop new models of collaboration and engagements to make sure they work in the right medium and achieve their goals.
Hiring green balers and compactors suppliers with different business locations in Australia, collaborating with sustainable industry bodies, and partnering with regulators help them address the challenges they face and solve the issues in a way that impresses their public. When collaborating with companies specialised in recycling waste, they establish their reputation as authorities in the industry and inspire other brands to follow their example.
Remote working
With the pandemic isolating people at home, companies understood they have no reason to fear remote work because their employees are as productive when working from home, as they were at the office. Technology allows individuals to reduce their carbon footprint by working from home or local hubs that serve as co-working spaces. Companies can now use solutions like Office 365 and SharePoint to create a productive work environment for their workers and promote flexibility.
When employees work from home, they use their vehicles less and reduce their CO2 emissions. Research has also proved that people working from the comfort of their houses are more productive than individuals with an office-based job.
And the benefits went further because with their experts working from home, companies can reduce their energy use and save money on rent. After all, they need smaller premises. Remote working allows brands to save valuable resources and improve efficiency.
However, for remote working to be productive, companies must create working policies that establish targets for each employee. A well-established policy attracts high-quality talent because Millennials and Gen Z prefer working from home over their anxiety to socialise with other people. Also, companies can recruit nationally and internationally when they encourage their workers to complete projects from home.
Did the above trends convince you to switch your company’s direction? Do you find it challenging to integrate them into your operations? Making real, lasting changes requires help from your employees, clients and partners, but you can definitely do it if you want to support your local community and make the planet a better place.
