A few weeks ago, we published this post to prepare for World Environment Day.

Today is the day!

What is your company doing to celebrate? 

• If you forgot about it, or didn’t plan anything, don’t overthink it. Celebrate in whatever way is convenient for you.  Like all things in life, taking that first step is key. 
• If you have fun with it, you will remember it and want to do something next year.
• If that happens, you are on your way to being more involved in the environment you live.

Here is a statement from Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme.

Per this JLL article, soaring demand for sustainable / low carbon offices will outstrip supply.

– Green-certified buildings enjoy the following premiums

+7.1% in North America

+11.6% in London

+9.9% in Asia

So, the question – Is your building certified sustainable?

Answer – Probably not.

Reason – You have run the numbers and the cost of most building-certifications produce a negative ROI, even with the above increases in rent.

What if we told you that those building-centric certifications are energy-efficiency certifications, not sustainability certifications?  And, what if we told you there is a better way?

Discussion:

How many entities can be certified in a 100-tenant building via a building certification?

Answer: 1 (the building)

How many entities can be certified in a 100-tenant building via a business certification?

Answer – 101 (the building and every tenant)

Who pays for the building certification?

Answer – You

Who pays for the business certification?

The business (ie, your tenants)

What is more impactful for a business to say?

• “I lease space in a certified energy efficient building” – nope
• “My company is a certified sustainable business” – yep

What is going to motivate a tenant to renew?

• Having a lease in your certified energy efficient building – nope
• Having a certified sustainable business that was certified in the space in your building – yep

What is going to meet Scope 3 mandates and government regulations?

• Leasing space in a certified energy efficient building – nope
• Being a certified sustainable company – yep

What is the more respected and also the larger standard?

• The building-centric energy-efficient program – nope
• The business-centric sustainability program – yep

What is less expensive?

• The building-centric energy-efficient program – nope
• The business-centric sustainability program – yep

What delivers the greatest ROI to both landlord and tenant?

• The building-centric energy-efficient program – nope
• The business-centric sustainability program – yep

If you would like to learn more, watch this master class, then contact us.

In 2023 renewables reached 30% of global electricity generation.

2024 is expected to begin the slow decline of fossil fuel power production, with a drop of 2%. 

The COP28 goal is 60% renewable energy by 2030 – that’s 5.5 years to double our current position. 

If this occurs, fossil fuel production will be cut in half; materially helping our efforts to slow global warming.

Various groups around the world, such as the ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India) are publishing guidelines for advertising making environmental / green claims.

In effect, they all cover the same points.

Here is a simple guideline –

• Any claim that a company, product, service, package has a neutral or positive impact on the environment, or is less damaging to the environment than a previous version of the product, or is less damaging than competition, or has special environmental benefits; regardless of if the claim is explicit or implicit; needs to be substantiated by 3^rd party validation tied to a globally-recognized standard.  

If your company is becoming more environmentally friendly because you know it is the right thing to do – Wonderful!!  Congratulations!!!  Keep it up!!!!

But the minute you start talking about it, you need that claim substantiated by 3^rd party validation tied to a globally-recognized standard.

If not, odds are, you will be exposed for greenwashing and your brand will suffer.

If you want to protect your brand, but benefit from consumer demand that you become environmentally friendly, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “The Early Bird Gets the Worm!”

Do you run your business like an Early Bird or do you prefer to let your competitors get the worm?

Per this article, 90% of the world’s economies have made pledges to slash planet-warming emissions.

Yet, the article says that voluntary compliance is not addressing the problem fast enough.  To that point, we know that roughly 50% of the world’s economies already have developed regulations with some teeth.  This will expand quickly and more regulations will occur.

So, back to the question – Will you be an Early Bird or only come ‘kicking and screaming’, when forced?

Per studies from many groups, we know that 7 out of 10 consumers will move their business if they find a certified sustainable company:

• The Innovators (25% of consumers) have already made purchase decisions based on sustainability
• The Early Adopters (20 – 43% of consumers) are in play right now

These are the worms the Early Birds, who have already become certified sustainable, are getting.  Soon, they will be getting the Early Majority.  This is why the Early Birds that became certified sustainable companies are growing up to 20x faster than you are.

Unless your target market is the Late Majority and Laggards, watch this webinar and give us a call.

The biggest concern we get from prospective clients is the perception that the Edenark Group ISO 14001 application process will be painful and take a lot of staff time.

In point of fact, Edenark Group does the vast majority of the application work for its clients.

This video is of an Edenark Group ISO 14001 client and provides an answer to this concern.

As an aside, not only did this client, Wholesale Payroll, become environmentally certified sustainable under the Edenark Group ISO 14001 program in 2022, but they also renewed their certification for 2023 and 2024.