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The nuts 'n bolts on going green
By Wu Jiayin |
September 19, 2009, Saturday
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Print Edition
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EVERYBODY is trying to reduce their carbon footprint, new "green" industries are emerging and flourishing and companies large and small want to be more environmentally friendly and eco-efficient.
Glenn Bachman has written a how-to book, "the Green Business Guide: A One Stop Resource for Businesses of All Shapes and Sizes to Implement Eco-Friendly Policies, Programs, and Practices," for companies in "green transition."
It's not an easy read, but a useful one for those who are committed to change. It provides detailed, comprehensive guidance on planning and implementing eco-efficient changes in almost every aspect of operations.
As its subtitle suggests, it's "a one-stop resource for businesses of all shapes and sizes to implement eco-friendly policies, programs, and practices."
Companies should first draft a green transition plan, setting the tone for the entire transition.
Many elements need to be considered, such as defining a "green" organization, outlining intentions, deciding on participants, setting a time frame and so on.
Bachman emphasizes the importance of a fully committed leadership if companies are to successfully make the change.
It's not enough for corporate executives to simply express their commitment to the green transition.
They need to take actions to demonstrate their commitment at every stage, from planning going forward.
"Workers look to leadership to walk the talk: if transportation energy efficiency is an enterprise policy, then there shouldn't be any gas-guzzlers in the corporate vehicle fleet," Bachman says.
His in-depth suggestions cover conserving energy in offices, manufacturing operations, transport, water and waste management and air pollution.
It also covers use of materials with low carbon footprints.
"With energy costs being a significant expenditure for industry, energy consumption reduction is an important activity," he says.
He lists professional standards and tools that companies can apply in each area.
For example, in building an environmentally sound physical plant, a company can turn to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard in the US, which is respected worldwide.
When evaluating the amount and kind of greenhouse gases a company's electrical system emits, the US Environmental Protection Agency is useful.
Bachman advises companies to seriously consider the environmental impact of their products' whole life cycle, from the extraction of raw supplies to the disposal or recycling of the products.
Many companies neglect the environmental impacts of their products once they're sold.
For example, few mobile phone makers recycle used phones.
Many people are at a loss how to dispose of the metallic electronic garbage, which can cause environmental pollution if not properly handled.
The problem can be solved if producers recycle used products.
This encourages them to find ways to minimize the environmental impact of products and their components.
Going green need not mean lower profits.
It is an opportunity for a company to win more customer approval, says Bachman, if it "frames ecological benefits in terms that resonate with the buyer's core values, attitudes and beliefs."
Glenn Bachman has written a how-to book, "the Green Business Guide: A One Stop Resource for Businesses of All Shapes and Sizes to Implement Eco-Friendly Policies, Programs, and Practices," for companies in "green transition."
It's not an easy read, but a useful one for those who are committed to change. It provides detailed, comprehensive guidance on planning and implementing eco-efficient changes in almost every aspect of operations.
As its subtitle suggests, it's "a one-stop resource for businesses of all shapes and sizes to implement eco-friendly policies, programs, and practices."
Companies should first draft a green transition plan, setting the tone for the entire transition.
Many elements need to be considered, such as defining a "green" organization, outlining intentions, deciding on participants, setting a time frame and so on.
Bachman emphasizes the importance of a fully committed leadership if companies are to successfully make the change.
It's not enough for corporate executives to simply express their commitment to the green transition.
They need to take actions to demonstrate their commitment at every stage, from planning going forward.
"Workers look to leadership to walk the talk: if transportation energy efficiency is an enterprise policy, then there shouldn't be any gas-guzzlers in the corporate vehicle fleet," Bachman says.
His in-depth suggestions cover conserving energy in offices, manufacturing operations, transport, water and waste management and air pollution.
It also covers use of materials with low carbon footprints.
"With energy costs being a significant expenditure for industry, energy consumption reduction is an important activity," he says.
He lists professional standards and tools that companies can apply in each area.
For example, in building an environmentally sound physical plant, a company can turn to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard in the US, which is respected worldwide.
When evaluating the amount and kind of greenhouse gases a company's electrical system emits, the US Environmental Protection Agency is useful.
Bachman advises companies to seriously consider the environmental impact of their products' whole life cycle, from the extraction of raw supplies to the disposal or recycling of the products.
Many companies neglect the environmental impacts of their products once they're sold.
For example, few mobile phone makers recycle used phones.
Many people are at a loss how to dispose of the metallic electronic garbage, which can cause environmental pollution if not properly handled.
The problem can be solved if producers recycle used products.
This encourages them to find ways to minimize the environmental impact of products and their components.
Going green need not mean lower profits.
It is an opportunity for a company to win more customer approval, says Bachman, if it "frames ecological benefits in terms that resonate with the buyer's core values, attitudes and beliefs."
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