7 Key Benefits of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction
With great power comes great responsibility – and our ability to harness natural gases for means of production and development is no different. It’s common knowledge that the greenhouse effect on earth stems from the emission of GHG emissions released primarily by the burning of fossil fuels, but also stems from landfills, agricultural systems, industrial and waste management processes, and more.
This emission of gases has the effect of trapping the heat from the sun in our atmosphere, allowing it to enter but preventing it from escape – creating devastating natural phenomena such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, and more. Reducing this flow and emission of the greenhouse gases that spur global warming could prevent up to 3 million premature deaths annually by the year 2100. Without concentrated effort towards greenhouse gas emission reduction, the globe is not only in danger of suffering increased levels of damage, but suddenly needing to cope with an entirely new set of issues, entering the territory of climate disasters and constant risk to public safety.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Impacts on the World
Consciously reducing the emission of greenhouse gases during standard business processes impacts our global environment in multiple ways, including:
1) Air Quality
As temperatures rise and emissions increase both in volume and density, the Paris Agreement notes air quality is certain to worsen. With the degradation of air quality comes decreased accessibility of outdoor spaces, consequential damage to clean land and water, and we will be facing unprecedented challenges in trying to continue with personal and professional routines that have become our norm. With greenhouse gas emission reduction, air quality will improve and result in an across-the-board increase in health of our entire planet – from our bodies of water to our own internal bodily systems.
2) Economic Growth
In conjunction with the improvement of public health, the global economy will also benefit from a cleaner environment through a reduction in GHG emissions. Clean, green energy is more appealing from an economic standpoint than ever before, with a 19-44% difference of price between new natural gas generation as opposed to new coal generation in the US. The reduction of electrical use within homes and businesses, longer-lasting electric and fuel-efficient vehicles, and reduced waste from natural gas are only a few of the factors that will push the economy towards more tangible success than it has seen in recent years. Corporations will see significant ROI on investment into clean energy, and with more time and funding to dedicate towards product development and improvement, as well as increased organizational credibility through openness with stakeholders around their sustainability efforts, both sales and consumer satisfaction will rise.
3) Slowed Climate Change
Finally, and arguably the most impactful aspect of greenhouse gas emission reduction, is the overall slowed climate change and environmentally beneficial practices that will be implemented. Climate change is the central cause of increased droughts, sea level rise, drastic weather events, such as forest fires, and all the subsequent devastating effects of these events on humanity and our development in every sense. With this in mind, reducing GHG emissions is the number one key to working towards a cleaner, greener, safer, and healthier society around the globe.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Key Benefits to Organizations
In addition to these tangible global, large-scale benefits, organizations can also benefit from the positive impacts of greenhouse gas emission reduction. The biggest benefits of effective emission management include:
4) Cost Savings
When it comes to cost savings, the simple reduction of energy usage both shrinks your organizational carbon footprint and your operating expenses themselves. In 2016, Energy Star released a report – when Intelligent Energy Optimizers LLC (IEO) supplied LED lighting to replace the existing fluorescents and HIDs at Kimberly–Clark Berkley Mill, an investment of $350,000 by the owner resulted in annual savings of $160,000 with full ROI in just over one and a half years.
5) Improved External Relations
The spending power of consumer populations holds immense sway in the process of influencing organizational action. The process of commitment to accountability in the arenas of broader sustainability as well as greenhouse gas emission reduction is a huge credibility boost in the eyes of the public. When your organization takes direct actions towards reducing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas output, the causal increase in quality and depth of relationships with potential partners and external business connections is invaluable.
6) Improved Stakeholder Relations
Alongside the deepened relationship with the public, the impact of transparent sustainability metrics and performance holds immense potential to deepen invaluable relationships with stakeholders. More investors than ever before are diverting capital away from carbon-heavy, secretive companies, and turning towards those who chose to be open, proactive, and honest with their management of greenhouse gas emissions within the sustainability world, and beyond.
7) Regulatory Compliance
With a 20-fold increase in the amount of global climate change laws since 1997, ensuring proactive regulatory compliance is more prevalent in the minds of organizational leadership, public spheres, and stakeholders than ever before – and it’s only rising in importance. Implementing an effective greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy, as well as documenting and reporting on progress on that area, is a vital action for organizations to take in order to continue operations and reduce fines.
Ways to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
When it comes to the act of actually reducing these emissions, there are several paths you can take – and the more angles you approach from while working to solve the issue of effective greenhouse gas emission reduction, the more effective your final efforts will be.
- Cut initial consumption of energy
- Replace fossil fuels with cleaner, greener alternatives
- Work towards higher energy efficiency rates
- Purchase carbon offsets
Cut Consumption
Simply making an effort to decrease the amount of energy and supplies your organization is using during its daily operations can have a huge impact on the effectiveness of greenhouse gas emission reduction programs.
Clean Fuel Alternatives
With electric vehicles, innovations in solar energy, and countless more options available within the scope of moving away from fossil fuels and coal as primary sources of energy – as well as huge subsequent benefits when it comes to ROI and environmental protection – there’s really no downside to working towards using only clean fuel.
Energy Efficiency
When the reduction of operating costs as well as emission reduction hinge on the simple action of investing in more energy-efficient equipment, the decision is simple. Committing to the installation of more energy-efficient systems throughout a company’s functioning areas, whether retail, production, warehouse, or something entirely different, is the way to go.
Carbon Offsets
A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for emissions made by your company. The money used to purchase these offsets is used to finance projects – forest preservation, energy efficiency efforts, and landfill methane capture – that would not have been built without that investment and funding. Read more about carbon offsets and how to purchase them.
With these strategies under your belt, supporting the environment we live in as well as pushing towards the next level of excellence within your organization is more accessible than ever before. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by – invest in energy-efficiency and sustainability efforts for your business and join the march towards universal greenhouse gas emission reduction today.