Climate Change Strategies for Detroit Small Businesses
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Six Good Reasons for Small-Business Action on Climate Change Our planet is changing. The effects of post-industrial emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) into the atmosphere have altered our climate—and continue to do so at a rapid pace. Experts believe that many of these changes will have serious, negative, lasting effects on the planet and us. To slow down climate change and adapt to the inevitable parts of it, everyone needs to pitch in—including businesses. It’s part of being a good citizen. It also pays off in terms of practical business opportunities. But how does climate change work pay off in the near and medium terms? Leading businesses—especially those with a history of investing in addressing climate change—know that climate change investments are needed now and that they do pay off. For example, they know that using less electricity means burning less fossil fuel, reducing their carbon footprint and saving them money in the form of utility bills. Of course, the exact returns a business receives depends
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on that company’s circumstances—its size, its stakeholders, its industry, the nature of its product/ service lineup, its supply chain and its culture. But despite each company’s unique situation, there are some common benefits that small businesses likely can obtain if they address climate change headon. Let’s look at six key payoffs from a business standpoint. We’re sure you’ll find at least one that fits your situation.
SAVE MONEY The easiest way for any business to capture savings from addressing climate change is to reduce energy consumption: The less energy you buy, the lower your utility bills. So you should consider evaluating ways to reduce purchases of • electricity—for lighting and heating, ventilation and AC (HVAC) • steam—for heating • fuel—for boilers, burners and transportation • water—for daily operations, fixtures and flush fixtures How can your business use less energy? We’ll illustrate this a bit more in the step-by-step portion of this toolbox, but a great way for small
businesses to reduce energy consumption is to swap out or retrofit inefficient energy-consuming equipment, such as lighting, flush and flow fixtures, machinery and HVAC equipment. Yes, this requires an up-front cost, but lower energy bills quickly repay that investment—and then some. Also, government and/or private subsidies often can help defer some of the up-front cost. Other cost-saving opportunities lie in operations, facility management and procurement/supply chain. In general, it’s all about maintaining or even increasing your output while using fewer resources—which saves money and increases profitability.
CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGIES FOR DETROIT SMALL BUSINESSES | AUGUST 2017
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