Energy
Sustaining momentum
Get the rundown on sustainability before your resources run out.
By Jessica Tremayne
Smart Business South Florida | February 2009
Page 1 of 3
Sustainability isn’t about saving the planet.
It’s about saving your business.
Conducting business in a sustainable manner means you can spend less and increase
revenue.
While sustainability does help the planet,
the incentive of reducing your business costs
by half is a strong reason to pay attention.
The buzz is that traditional energy and other
resources will be in tight supply in the future,
resulting in volatile prices. By investing in
sustainable efforts now, you can help ensure
your business’s long-term success.
Americans compose 5 percent of the
world’s population, yet contribute almost 25
percent of the greenhouse gas pollution,
which scientists believe causes global warming. If everyone used and wasted energy and
other resources this way, we’d need four
planet earths to keep up with the demand.
Consumers are finally taking notice of this
egregious waste and are looking to buy from
sustainable businesses, while more and more
businesses are looking to obtain products
from other businesses using sustainable
practices. This is a time when your business
can not only streamline production but also
increase revenue by drawing in new customers.
“Barack Obama was so specific about
forming an energy plan, we’ll be seeing things
change soon,” says T. Boone Pickens,
founder and chairman of BP Capital
Management. “This means businesses have
to get going on where they’ll be standing
when this comes in to play.”
Businesses are expected to play a big role
in any changes.
“More than 50 percent of U.S. energy use is
attributable to buildings,” says Clark Davis,
vice chairman of HOK, a global architectural
and engineering firm that has incorporated
sustainability in its business plan. “This statistic proves that sustainable businesses will
be leaders in turning things around with the
environment. Businesses touch more places
and people on the planet than anyone else.”
Ninety-seven percent of readers polled by
Smart Business say being green is an
important part of their corporate philosophy, yet 82 percent report that they’re willing to invest nothing or less than $5,000 in
greener practices. Experts say spending
money on green initiatives isn’t paying for
an image; it’s a direct investment in a more
economic way of running your business.
