The urge for businesses to become green is not a passing fad. In addition to being the right thing to do for our world, shoppers say that protection of the environment influences their purchase intention. How can green business candidates effectively demonstrate their eco-friendly initiatives?
The race has been going on for years now. And if your business does not actively participate, everyone in your organisation will finish on the opposing side.
Understand Your Carbon Footprint
Understanding how your present business model, supply chain, and activities contribute to environmental issues should be the starting point for businesses.
Beginning with the following questions:
- What CO2 emissions are associated with your company’s internal operations? What is their underlying cause? This is often the simplest question to answer, as you probably needed this data to function.
- What CO2 emissions are associated with your suppliers and vendors? This is often the most difficult step, as not all providers will readily provide this information.
If you do not know where to acquire this information, contact respected organisations such as Climate Neutral, Carbon Neutral, and the Climate Registry to locate a climate consultant. These agencies will be able to assist you in comprehending how your company’s internal, auxiliary, and external operations affect its carbon footprint.
Here’s what you can do:
Internal and external communication is required
Even as a business owner, you cannot ensure the business’s long-term viability on your own. It will demand the dedicated attention of every member of your business, from the highest-paid executive to the entry-level employee. Communication should thus be your most critical expertise. Both internal and external communication channels must be kept open.
Create a company culture that emphasises sustainability development, including recycling, compostable packaged foods, waste minimisation, reusable coffee mugs, eco-friendly stationery and office supplies, staff carpooling, green energy, and carbon offsetting, and inform your staff members of your current expectations, environmental priorities, and sustainability objectives. This is also a good opportunity to speak with your suppliers; if they do not share your vision, it may be time to look for new ones.
Externally, you must communicate with your consumers, which is where the next step comes in.
Implement both content marketing and social media
In today’s pandemic infused predominantly digital environment, it is impossible to operate a profitable business without a robust online and social media presence. Social media lives on narrative; to capture the attention of the typical and technologically impatient reader, you must be able to tell a fascinating tale.
The difficulty with social media is finding a balance between promoting your sustainability initiatives and spending too much time discussing them. You shouldn’t focus your whole social media strategy on your eco-friendly initiatives. People will just notice it and will not read anything else about the product or service you are selling.
Position yourself on the same side of the table as your clients.
It is crucial to acquire real-world information on your target audiences. Are your customers interested in purchasing from businesses that employ solar electricity or wind turbines? Are they actively attempting to acquire from businesses who “walk the walk” in terms of solely dealing with environmentally responsible suppliers? The more your understanding of your audience’s preferences about sustainability, the simpler it will be to choose the next steps for your business.