In light of what climate experts announce is a “code red” for humanity, many sectors are taking the initiative to do what they can for sustainability. Surveys looking at small and medium-sized businesses by Environmental Journal reveal that up to 64% want to improve their own environmental sustainability. That said, only 24% have actually taken steps towards becoming more eco-friendly. While many business owners share that their shift towards sustainability centers on internal practices, it’s equally important to extend this initiative to external elements also. With suppliers being the lifeblood of many businesses, it’s essential that all business owners who want to go green work hard at finding the right suppliers to support their business and their sustainability initiative. Here’s why:
Decreases your environmental impact
According to a Forbes report on global supply chains, it’s revealed that most supply chains create up to 5.5 times as many greenhouse emissions as in-house business operations. As it is, even a small office-based business can generate up to 6 metric tons of carbon emissions per employee annually. Conversely, a business’s environmental impact can be drastically reduced by reliable suppliers who can streamline processes and mitigate expensive and eco-damaging risks. For instance, a good supplier can ensure that your paint delivery is packed properly, in the right manner, and within the correct time frame. This then eradicates the need to use more finite natural resources (think fuel for more deliveries or water to thin each new paint batch) to rectify any errors. This, ultimately, means that any and all systems connected to your business have a smaller negative effect on the environment.
Future-proofs your business
With regulators and governments taking climate action more seriously, many plans are in place to mandate more sustainable solutions within the decade. This means that businesses unable to adapt will be left behind and likely suffer from hefty losses and penalties. To prevent this, it’s important for businesses to align with suppliers who can empower their structure with future-facing green solutions. This is especially the case for suppliers who can enhance current business hardware and software. Hoymiles explains that one of the top reasons to go solar is that it creates a resilient power supply which is also in line with the recent shift towards electric transportation. As such, any business that is able to switch to a solar power provider that offers accessible PV systems with backup storage will have a much easier time keeping up with future green mandates.
Allows you more control of production
Among many businesses, ecologically harmful practices by suppliers often get overlooked because there is too great a distance between the supplier and the business owner. However, an ideal supplier should be willing to make the effort to create a healthy working relationship. This is why finding a collaborative supplier (ideally a local one to support local trade!) is part of the key Steps to Supplier Selection we’ve previously outlined. This works in both your favor because it prevents miscommunication. For businesses that want to become more sustainable, this heightened transparency ensures that all operations are ethical and rooted in the same core values. Additionally, this also allows businesses more control over the production process which can significantly improve not just your sustainability, but also business performance as a whole. This is especially beneficial when looking for furniture suppliers since having better transparency and control means business owners can ensure that the product they receive is made ethically and to the standards they expect.
Undoubtedly, it’s of the utmost importance that businesses that aim for sustainability work with reliable suppliers who can help further their cause. Since a recent business survey by the UN-backed SME Climate Hub states that a big sustainability hurdle for most businesses is a lack of resources, then by first onboarding reliable suppliers with the same green values, businesses are at least on the right path to reducing their ecological footprint and supporting more sustainable business practices.