World Environment Day falls tomorrow(5)and National Environment Week is from May 29 to June 5.It is ironic that the flash floodsthat adversely affected 14 districts at the wake of the monsoon seasonshould happenduring this time frame, focusing our attention towards environment.
Development and prosperity will have little effect on the national gross happiness index, if we are going to be constantly afflicted by floods, droughts and natural disasters. We hear relevant officials repetitively pointing out that these disasters could be significantly mitigated if we act in a responsible manner towards environment.
Creation of wealth
All this boils down to striking a good balance in the creation and maintenance of wealth; financial, social and natural. Reckless development and wealth creation can set ablaze our homes, our communities and ultimately our country.Our indifference will impact our environment adversely which will affect the destiny of manygenerations to come and we lose out at the end.
Society demands that businesses shouldfactor-in sustainability into their process of money creation. Scientific research shows that office buildings, aircrafts and businesses are the main culprits that contribute heavily toward global warming.
Green economies
Our businesses and projects need to be carried out in ways that uphold sustainable values. For example, businesses that are involved in food industry should support sustainability throughout the food value chain. This means greater usage of natural fertilizers, reduced use of chemical and harmful pesticides and a market system that supports nutrition.
In the same manner, businesses that affect environment should have mechanisms to clean-up the mess they cause and support cleaner atmosphere. If businesses do not take care of the environment, their license to operate will be eventually cancelled, as society will begin to boycott those products and services.
Green innovations
Thus, businesses need to come up with innovative solutions through their R & D initiatives to take care of what society needs. For example, there are a number of success stories on how garbage disposal has been turned into a lucrative business through innovative recycling plants and waste management projects.
Biomethanation (producing methane from organic waste) is an example of how technology has been successfully implemented in the hotel industry to deal with kitchen waste and sewage.
Act Green
To ensure apristine environment for today and for tomorrow, a number of concrete steps are being taken, including tree planting campaigns, waste management programs and cleaning programs. Creating awareness among public and school children on the importance of maintaining clean environments, waste management, water conservation, bio diversity and sustainable land management also stand as high priority. All these are highly commendable. However, if businessesare contributing in some way to environmental pollution and damage, then they should set aside a certain percentage of their profit and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to re-invest in sustaininggreen environment. Even the consumers of such products and services too, should be encouraged to contribute toward these efforts.
We need to think how we can contribute toward the creation of greener economies. How green are the offices where we work? How can we curtail the inefficient usage of energy and resources in our offices and homes? Is there a way how we can contribute or bear some of the costs to achieve a greenerenvironment in our offices and neighbourhoods?
Our thinking on environmental issues ought to change. Let us analyze the good that we do to people through our products and services throughout their life cycles. Our approach on the usage of water, energy and raw material needs to improve. Let us reduce waste, emissions and pollution and move into dynamic innovations to increase eco-efficiency. We need environmental champions in our families,companies and communities. Our careless mindset to make quick money in today’s context is creating challenges to our health and wellbeing. We ought to ask ourselves whether we are compromising the quality of our lives by acting callously on environmental issues.
Commitment
Talk to your family, friends and colleagues on the importance of green environment and try to understand their mindset on issues like waste segregation, energy saving, e-waste, recycling of plastic etc. This way, you will be able to encourage them to increase their long term commitment toward green environment.
The need of the hour is for a radical change in our philosophy, mentality and strategies as to how we take care of our environment. A sense of purpose and a kinderattitude will be the answer towards that environmentally friendly strategy!
(The writer is an HRD practitioner)