Climate change, or global warming, means an increase in the average temperature measured on Earth. Climate change is mainly caused by the use of fossil fuels, which results in the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air. These gases cause heat storage in the atmosphere, a phenomenon that can cause various effects on ecosystems, including sea level rise, extreme weather events, droughts and more. All of this contributes to how businesses operate and the ways in which they should tackle sustainability, even on a smaller scale, to play their part. Sustainability is key and entrepreneur Stephen Troese, Jr., a sports fan is also dedicated to climate change. Because together it is achievable. 

Although there is no one-size-fits-all definition, a sustainable business is generally considered to be one that is committed to maintaining its environmental performance, economic performance, and social performance. Any business that takes action against climate change, is a business that people will put faith and respect into.

So what ways can businesses get involved?

1. Reduce your energy consumption. In winter, avoid overheating the rooms and if possible, manage the ignition and shutdown before and after the arrival of employees. You will save money on your energy bill and help regulate the climate.

2. Configure your equipment. Program your electrical installations, such as lights for example, to reduce unnecessary consumption. Shut down your computer or put it to sleep if you are not using it.

3. Recycle your waste. Put sorting and recycling on the agenda so that your employees get rid of their waste in dedicated bins. Choose reusable dishes rather than plastic cutlery, plates and cups.

4. Optimize the sending of your emails. They are preferable to paper mail because the expenditure of energy is less. You will also save money on postage. 

5. Use means of transport that emit low CO2. For example, take public transport to come to work. Same for business trips, consider carpooling, cycling or other alternatives.

6. Think about telecommuting. You can thus limit your environmental impact of your daily home-office trips.

7. Have local and seasonal dishes delivered to the office. If they are organic, it's even better! Also arrange with your colleagues to order from the same place and avoid a lot of unnecessary packaging.

8. Encourage workers to eat responsibly at least once a week. Meat is expensive for the planet, you know! According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), “cattle ranching is responsible for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, or about 7 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted.” 

9. Think about reuse and recycling. With the circular economy, you are reviewing your consumption pattern to limit the waste generated and optimize the use of natural resources by reviving the product and the material.

10.  Save paper or at least use it smartly! For example, print only when necessary, otherwise print on both sides, and preferably with recycled paper. Use the used sheets as a rough draft. When presenting in meetings, use PowerPoint.

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