Neobične vremenske prilike u kojima sve češće ‘uživamo’ proteklih godina razlog su da se pozabavimo temom okoliša i njegova utjecaja na poslovni svijet.
This quote by the late American pastor reflects the prevailing attitude of the country which is the world’s largest polluter and which has refused to ratify the Kyoto protocol. Big businesses obviously feel threatened by the growing concern for the environment and would rather close their eyes to the reality of the situation. However, it is difficult to deny that the climate is changing; it suffices to notice the increasingly hot summers, droughts and floods, as well as drastic weather changes. There is no doubt that nature’s raging furies have been human-induced. In addition to our individual contributions to the carbon emission levels (the main culprit in the whole climate change story), businesses around the globe undoubtedly have a lot to account for.
There is a saying that the only legitimate reason for the existence of business is profit. However, nowadays there are lots of lucrative business opportunities to be exploited in response to climate change. While some people will despair, apt entrepreneurs will find ways of making profit, the most obvious example of this being a boost in the sales of air-conditioners. Waste management has already proved its profitability; e.g. Houston-based Waste Management Inc is a company where waste equals profit.
How can companies profit from going green?
There are numerous ways of going green, both profitable for businesses and beneficial to the environment. As formulated by a representative of the United Parcel Service, one of the world’s largest package delivery companies, “managing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is a business opportunity – one that can improve the bottom line, reduce our impact and our customers’ impact on the environment and increase the long-term viability of our company.” Companies that respond to the growing customers’ environment-consciousness by developing new hybrid technologies (such as Honda and Toyota) will not only increase revenues but also gain a competitive advantage. At the same time, they will avoid environmental lawsuits filed for harmful practices as depicted in movies such as Erin Brokovich.
