Go green - for business sake!
Posted 6 December 2007 at 10:49AM by Hannah Gilchrist in Investment and finance
Sending your business green is not simply about compliance or social responsibility, it is now about efficiency and helping your business run smoothly. Is this the truth or just another spin on an old business debate?
Since the UK and EU regulations and campaigns demanding greener business measures, SMEs have been facing tough decisions on how to adapt their working practices to meet the ethical dilemma - should you spend more on signing up to green IT or expose your carbon demons and risk your business reputation?
Socially responsible companies have been on the business radar for years, let's face it, people like working for companies they are proud of and being green is a key factor in attracting and retaining top talent. But now it's not only your staff and customers who you should be trying to please.
But as far as the bigger picture is concerned things have stepped up a notch. The National Grid is said to be reaching breaking point and EDF energy has warned it cannot increase supplies to data centres. All this is not surprising when research from IBM estimates that IT is responsible for a whopping 40% of an office's entire electricity usage, but now failing to turn your machines green could cost you.
Ok so there's no such thing as a green computer that's going to turn your business into a green machine, but leaving your computers on 24/7, forgetting to switch off the lights and even printing every email won't exactly help. And by the looks of things all this will cost you in operating terms if nothing else.
While a carbon levy on utility bills in the UK sends SME costs soaring and most things are tending to cost businesses more not less, where does that leave you? After weighing up the advantages, it's a no-brainer - catch the green bug before it's too late.
Tags: business, efficiency, energy, green
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Comments
2. At December 6, 2007 1:12 PM, James Lyon wrote:
OH COME ON VINNIE! In this day and age we need to do everythin in our power to stop global warming! I am 70 years old and won't be around for much longer but my grandchildren certainly will be! They shouldn't pay for our mistakes! Regards, James Lyon - Retired computer systems lecturer
3. At December 6, 2007 1:43 PM, Kurtis Angle wrote:
I never thought I'd say this but I actually agree with James! Even if global worming does transpire to be a myth what harm will come of reducing emmissions?! surely all these by-products can't be good for our health?
4. At December 6, 2007 1:56 PM, Joe Principe wrote:
i'm afraid that at the end of the day, the need for huge profit and expansion in the work place will tip the scales the wrong way and every effort to go green will sadly come up short.
5. At December 6, 2007 2:36 PM, Jimmy Hayden wrote:
All this fuss about global warming is just a Government ploy in order to raise more cash for the boys, I mean £1.02 per litre of petrol !!!!.
It is a well known fact that the earths climate has always changed and many scientists also agree that we are only contributing to a very small percentage of the change, but do these scientists ever get invited to conferences regarding this ???.
I think its time for people to wake up and realise that this is nothing but a pack of lies.
6. At December 6, 2007 3:16 PM, J G Dawson wrote:
Now I know there's a gardener on-board - 'global worming...'
7. At December 6, 2007 6:56 PM, J G Dawson wrote:
'It's a no-brainer - catch the green bug before its too late.' - Oh really - and if BT for example were to 'catch the green bug' and become a 'socially responsible company' would that not mean stopping its massive imports from China leaving the business devoid of apparatus and therefore jobs? - If global warming turns out to be true - I'd say it's already too late...
8. At December 6, 2007 7:35 PM, Stacy wrote:
One easy green choice companies can make is switching to online faxing to save paper and energy. To support this, my company, CallWave, is offering to have a tree planted on behalf of all of our new Virtual Fax customers through the end of the year. Here's info on that: http://www.callwave.com/landing/other/plantATreeProgram.aspx
9. At December 7, 2007 9:03 AM, Bob HXC Holly wrote:
good call Jimmy!
didnt the ice age end because the earth got hotter? i doubt eskimo's had any major coal fired industry to create these green house gases.
its time to rise against the mistruths handed down.
10. At December 7, 2007 9:10 AM, Tim McElrath wrote:
I agree with Joe, global warming is a universal issue and one company making a change isn't going to resolve the problem! The issue has to be at the top of everyones agenda, there has to be legislation brought in to ensure that everyone is doing their part for reducing emmisions. At the end of the day we're all just drones that slave away.
11. At December 7, 2007 3:48 PM, G. Jeffrey wrote:
Some of us are already in 'green businesses', but if it is a case of renewable energy you could run your computers on 'solar power' by sitting on the roof.
12. At December 7, 2007 8:44 PM, Marc Rivers wrote:
I agree with Tim. One company cannot resolve the problem. However, when companies are offering similar products, it's nice to see Stacy's company CallWave pushing a green agenda.
13. At December 11, 2007 10:43 AM, Marc Ferguson wrote:
The whole global warming myth (stay with me on this one) is big business, and if you ever watch the news every second person talking about climate change has 'MP' after their name.
"Green" causes are the easy way to get government cash at the moment with no questions asked and it makes you wonder why people are buying into it when just 30 years ago the world was worried about global cooling...
Couldn't just be the natural fluxuation of global temperature that's been happening since before humans had invented the wheel, could it?
14. At December 13, 2007 4:57 PM, G Connolly wrote:
Interesting points. I bet everyone emailing this thread has gone a bit green without even realising it. My company is into sustainability and gives green advice to easily and simply improve YOUR building and business; it really is surprising how simple carbon footprint savings can be as long as you have the help and tools to do it. It is in all our interests. Saving energy saves YOU money.
15. At December 19, 2007 11:08 AM, Essa Rios wrote:
Claiming global warming is a myth is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. Claiming you don't believe in it is just a poor excuse for not doing anything about it. The earth's climate may always have changed, but the massive hole in the ozone layer above the Antarctic certainly didn't appear naturally. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if more of the sun's rays are getting through to the earth, it's gonna get hotter.
It's time people stopped sticking their heads in the sand and actually took some responsibility for a change.
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1. At December 6, 2007 12:21 PM, Vincent McMahon wrote: