Environmental Sustainability in Business: Cliche or Essential?

Look, I get it. At this point, people writing and speaking on sustainability are as commonplace as influencers. It's a hot topic, and many may feel it's a bit tired. They may be right, but, sometimes, there's very good reason to beat a dead horse. Is it cliche? Sure. Is it essential? Absolutely, yes. These conversations must continue and tangible efforts must follow. Our very planet depends on it.

Why the sense of urgency? Well, how about the rapidly melting glaciers in Europe and Greenland. Or the ever more rapidly disappearing polar (Arctic and Antarctic) ice caps. Or the rapid heating, and subsequent acidification, of the oceans. Or the drying of entire continents rapidly dealing with prolonged and more intense heatwaves, coupled with the very real impacts of increased energy consumption and depleted groundwater. Or just the weather pattern instability in general. We have witnessed massive increases in flooding and storms of all sorts due to climate change, leaving meteorologists and scientists scrambling to adapt to an increasingly unstable system, unable to accurately predict the next dangerous event. Need I go on?

These are real events. Scientifically backed with metaphorical mountains of data. Further, let's be honest, it's obvious now. Go outside, just about anywhere on the planet, and you will likely witness some direct signs of a shifting climate in your own backyard. Unusual thunder and hailstorms, tornadoes, wildfires, increased winds/cloud/sun, drier/wetter weather patterns for the region and/or time of year, toxic algae blooms, increased UV and sun intensity, increased pollution/smog/smoke, etc. There's no doubt we are impacted by our many human activities, and that the disregard for environmental consequences so often adopted by big business has devastated our natural world. It's literally everywhere and blatantly effecting our day to day lives, so yes, we must continue to talk about, and advocate for, environmental sustainability in business.

Big or small, we at B+C Intuitive Services think it is essential for everyone to do their part to reduce environmental impacts. That's why we source sustainable supplies and have made a Green Pledge for 3% of all profits to be donated to environmental charities (TBD) as soon as we hit our first $50k in sales. This reflects our stance that environmental sustainability and giving back is absolutely imperative, and the urgency for action is why we are committed to beginning donations AS SOON as we are financially able. We'd begin immediately were it not for the initial budgetary considerations and constraints of launching a business. This venture has required significant investment, both time and money, and we need to recoup a little to ensure longevity before diving into giving mode. That being said, many companies wait until they see revenue in the millions before even considering giving back and we believe that is nonsense.

Hence, we are committed to giving back and contributing to environmental sustainability as quickly as possible, as well as utilizing as many sustainable practices in our internal business model as we possibly can. Further, our holistic business consulting will always aim to incorporate sustainability as a chief factor in our recommendations and strategic plans, where appropriate and/or requested by our clients. Don't worry, no pushy stuff; if it's not a part of the agenda, it's not, and that's ok too. But when, and where, we can consider how to improve our business operations, to ensure a green and beautiful planet for future generations to enjoy, is it not our civic/moral duty to do so?

With hope for a greener future,

Brendan Leishman

Owner and Consultant

B+C Intuitive Services