Bosses stress business sustainability on World Environment Day

On Sunday June 5, more than 150 countries around the world held events to mark the United Nations’ World Environment Day.

Hosted by Sweden, the theme of this year’s World Environment Day was ‘Only One Earth’, with a focus on the need to live sustainably in harmony with nature and the intention to re-enforce the idea that the Earth is humanity’s only home.

“We are running against the clock,” said Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. “Today, as we look to a future of heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires, pandemics, dirty air, wars, and plastic-ridden oceans, action is more important than ever.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres added: "We can no longer ignore the alarm bells that ring louder every day. The only way forward is to work with nature, not against it.”

We asked three business leaders – one from the energy world and two from outside it – to tell us what World Environment Day means to them and their company.

Matthias Taft is Chief Executive of renewable energy company BayWa r.e.

“This year’s theme of #OnlyOneEarth should inspire governments, businesses, and people alike to take action against climate change to protect our planet.

“With recent events, energy security and supply moved into even sharper focus and we’re starting to see positive action, like the EU’s REPowerEU plan, in combination with its ‘Fit for 55’ proposal, which provides a way forward for Europe that ultimately should hasten the move to renewable sources of energy and away from fossil fuels and Russian dependency.

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Sustainable solutions are already available, and it is just the case of implementing them quickly enough. It’s therefore encouraging to see commitment to speeding up and simplifying permitting processes, which historically have slowed down renewable energy installation.

Energy security

Progress is certainly being made but we must all continue to be unwavering in our actions to ensure the new policies are acted upon quickly.

Transitioning to renewable power and increasing energy security is the only credible, sustainable, and economically viable option to avert the climate crisis.

We need decisive and bold action; with individuals, corporations and governments all having a role to play.”

Peggy de Lange is Vice-President of International Expansion at online freelance marketplace company Fiverr

“World Environment Day shines a spotlight on the fact that we have #OnlyOneEarth. Businesses - and individuals - have a duty to protect it, no matter how big or small.

Rethinking traditional business practices is a useful starting point to achieving carbon neutral commitments.

At Fiverr, we have incorporated remote working into our road map to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2030.

We live in a world with sophisticated platforms that support global communication and collaboration. It would be a disservice to our planet not to harness the power of these technologies to protect it.

That is why we encourage businesses to reduce their environmental impact by digitising their workforce. Hiring remote freelancers removes the need for extravagant travel, improving bottom lines and carbon footprint.

The onus is on all of us to make changes in our day to day lives to meet our sustainability targets so we can preserve our planet for generations to come.”

Iesha Berry (pictured top) is Chief Diversity and Engagement Officer at US electronic transaction company DocuSign.

“This World Environment Day is a great opportunity for companies to take stock of their existing processes and evaluate how sustainable they are.

In many cases, organisations like to stick to tried-and-tested ways of doing business. But if we want to protect the environment from further harm, we need to start doing things differently. And that includes re-evaluating how we work and how companies operate.

The first thing organisations can do to reduce the impact they have on the environment is by going paperless. Technologies relating to e-signature, digital collaboration tools and mindful office practices work together to reduce paper within the workplace.

Additionally, companies can consider investing in sustainable suppliers. This not only protects the environment, but also supports companies who are also doing their part to protect our planet by reducing unsustainable practices.

Offsetting emissions

Finally, companies can consider offsetting emissions by planting trees. Although this is a good way to restore natural ecosystems and protect forests, it can’t be a substitute for cutting emissions directly too.

While these changes might seem small in isolation, they can add up and have a big overall impact on the environment.

For example, by switching to digital processes and e-signatures, DocuSign and our customers have collectively saved over 55 billion sheets of paper and 148,000 tons of associated waste.

Businesses no matter their size can play a part in making our future more sustainable. But the time to implement change and protect the environment is now.”