Shrinking Your Environmental Footprint

We’ve all heard or read about the serious threat to our way of life posed by environmental

degradation, including the acidification of the oceans, the warming of the global climate system, and the loss of biodiversity. In recent years, warnings issued by organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have grown increasingly dire. The consensus among experts, and a growing number of world leaders, is that we need to get our collective act together if we intend to leave a decent, livable planet to our grandchildren.

There is no one, single “magic bullet” that can address all of those problems simultaneously. In order to answer the challenge, we will need to combine our skills of cooperation with our capacity for prudent, individual decision-making. And the workplace happens to be a venue where personal initiative and collaborative effort both come to the fore.

If you’re concerned about your business’s impact on the environment, but worry about the cost or difficulty of implementing more eco-friendly alternatives, fear not: there are some simple, inexpensive techniques you can try that can make a positive difference.

Invest in new lightbulbs and energy-efficient appliances.

Replace your old, incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs, and make sure the office refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher are all certified energy-efficient and built to last. Another advantage of the pursuit of energy efficiency (besides the environmental dimension) is the money you stand to save on your electricity bill.

Conduct regular checks of your office’s heating system to ensure that air is able to flow freely through the vents.

Turn out those lights!

Instruct the last person to leave the office in the evening to turn out the lights, and make sure all of the office computers are switched off. The same advice applies to rooms not currently in use, and chargers for cell phones and other gadgets that continue to sip electricity even when the device is fully charged. Unplug these when they’re not needed.

If possible, try scheduling “work from home” days.

One of the primary sources of vehicular pollution in our society is the daily commute to-and-from work—cars, trucks, and buses idling at stoplights and sitting in traffic. Instead, encourage your team to work from home if they can. With the communications technology available today, there is often no need for professionals to congregate in a single location in order to keep in contact with each other and get work done.

Reuse, recycle, and compost.

Many municipalities have citywide recycling programs, and some (like Vancouver, B.C.) have municipal composting programs. By separating recyclable items and organic materials from garbage, you’ll save space in your waste receptacles, conserve energy and, ultimately, contribute to the diminution of landfills and refuse processed at incinerators.

If you have a lot of old documents with text on only one side, conserve paper by writing on the other side. Set aside a trove of defunct, one-sided documents for this purpose.

Order paper products made from recycled material.

A wide variety of paper products made from recycled materials—including plates, napkins, paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, and document sheets—are available for purchase in stationery stores and through wholesale distributors. Whenever possible, try to order such products, particularly if they are compostable.

If your work is finished early, go home.

Many businesses operate on the basis of set hours, like the stereotypical “9 to 5”. But unless there’s a good reason for you to remain at work throughout the allotted time period, you’re better off shutting down your computer, cutting the lights, and heading home. You may even profit from the opportunity to beat the evening rush, which will save you fuel (better for both the environment and your bank account), and spare you frustration.

Spend some of your free time enjoying the natural world you’ve helped to preserve!

Clean Technology - The New Bubble?

When it comes to investment "bubbles" we've recently experienced two major "popping" incidents. The first was back in the late Nineties with the technology bubble popping leaving a wreck of literally hundreds of online startup businesses.

The second was the housing bubble from the early 2000s. We're still feeling the impact of that bubble bursting.

Now there is a worry that clean technology will be the new fragile bubble. However, there are indications that would point in the direction of longer lasting investment opportunities with clean technology businesses.

Here's why:

Clean technologies get paid first.

Unlike the internet companies who were offering free services, most clean technology companies like those making and installing solar panels are paid up front for their services. In other words, nobody is giving away a solar energy system for free in the hope you'll buy another one. The potential drawback is that for these businesses to succeed they will require a serious investment from the consumer. This brings up the need for a strong marketing campaign to make sure the consumer understands all the money-saving benefits of clean technologies down the road.

It's good for the planet.

At the heart of any green technology is the desire to make the world we live in a better place. By reducing our dependency on fossil fuel burning forms of energy we can make important strides in protecting our fragile eco-system. That approach holds a lot of appeal for many folks. We might not need to buy a luxury item from some online web store but we should all be interesting in preserving the environment. This makes clean technology more of a "calling" as opposed to a "fun fad" and that is going to increase its longevity as a business.

Government support.

For the most part, governments have stayed out of online businesses. It also seems that any government involvement in the real estate industry has had dubious effects. However, with clean technology the government can play a vital role in terms of offering support. Not only have they been providing loan guarantees to clean technology business but there have also been tax credit incentives to spurn consumers into investing. The partnership between the government and clean technology appears to be in for the long haul.

Slow and steady growth.

Unlike the internet and housing bubbles, nobody is going to become an instant millionaire in the clean technology industry. That doesn't mean you can't find success but the approach is one of slow and steady growth. That removes a sense of urgency in investors looking for overnight returns. Smart investors understand the nature of the clean technology business model and will make the appropriate decisions towards infusing those industries with the needed capital. 

Government Financing Programs for Canadian Environmental Businesses

“Going green” is not just for residents who recycle. Many companies are taking proactive steps to develop and implement environmentally friendly business practices. The Canadian Government is fostering this atmosphere by providing numerous resources to not only help a business go green but to provide limited financing for entrepreneurs who are getting into the environmental business.

The go-to site for any small business should be the Canada Business Network. There is a wide range of government-backed loan guarantee agencies designed to help a small business that might be having difficulty securing a loan from other creditors. Among the agencies are:

Canada Small Business Financing Program: This is a program that can help a business owner secure up to $500,000 from an accredited lending institution by offering a loan guarantee. These loans are meant for direct improvements to a business such as purchasing equipment or property for the company. For these loans a small business is defined as any company making less than $5 million a year.

Eco-Financing: This program applies to businesses operating in Quebec who are associated with the environmental industry such as acquiring carbon credits, research and development for greenhouse gas reduction or acquiring offset credits.

Export Guarantee Program: If your business will be involved in export related activities or foreign investments then you could find a benefit of a loan guarantee from this agency.

Canadian Agricultural Loans Act Program: This is a loan guaranteed program that assists farming businesses in securing credit. It applies to start-up farmers or for a farmer taking over an existing business with a maximum loan guarantee of up to $500,000 that can be applied towards land purchase and construction.

There are also many funding and incentive programs being offered to Canadian businesses who adopt “green” technologies or practices. These include rebates for installing solar energy panels, and helping agriculture business produce their own renewable energy sources.

Additional resources offered by the Canadian Business Network are for environmental technology verification. This allows businesses to get any environmental system they are using to be certified. That will help the business secure those loans which are geared towards eco-friendly businesses. In other words, you might have to prove you’re eco-friendly before getting the loan.

The Energy Management Information Systems Planning Manual helps business owners audit their company’s use of energy. Armed with this information, a business owner can make adjustments in their energy use that could save them money in power costs.

The FleetSmart program offers incentives and resources for companies who want to switch their transportation fleets over to more fuel efficient models. In some cases, companies are making a complete switch to electric cars with the help of these incentive programs.

Bottom line: whether you want to make your business more eco-friendly or want to start an environmental related business from the ground up, the government of Canada is a terrific place to start.

Make Your Small Business Eco-Friendly

You may think that making your operations eco-friendly is going to be time consuming and costly, but surprisingly going green can lower your operating costs in the long run.

Going green is all about maximizing efficiency and conservation, and minimizing consumption - concepts that small businesses like to hear. You can do the environment and your business good by making a few small and simple changes in your operations.

Conserve Energy

Between office lighting, computers, phones, printers and heat, offices consume a huge amount of electricity which results in hefty bills each month. But did you know that there are programs offered by Hydro companies that provide incentives for going green? The Small Business Lighting Program provides qualifying businesses with up to $1000 worth in free energy efficient lighting and equipment upgrades. Companies like Hydro One offer the Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program, which provides rebates to companies that have adopted energy efficient technologies.

Recycle

This seems like a no-brainer, but many companies still do not take the time to implement recycling programs for their business. Recycling doesn’t just mean paper or water bottles, ink and toner cartridges can also be reused and office equipment can be refurbished. As well, eco-friendly office supplies such as paper made from recycled or post-consumer content is available from most office suppliers.

Reduce Waste

This is the simplest way to go green, and to reduce operating costs. Encourage employees to only print when necessary, to print on both sides of paper, and to recycle all used paper. Digital communication and computer backups enable us to work electronically rather than leaving a constant and unnecessary paper trail.

Lead By Example

It’s one thing to implement an eco-friendly business model, it’s another thing to actually abide by your rules. Make sure that you introduce the new ideas to employees formally and provide easy ways for them to take part. Eventually, these ideas can be implemented as policies for all employees, and your business will be well on its way to going green!