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Why Should You Care About Your Carbon Footprint?

Sustainability is no longer an option for businesses. Nowadays, an increasing number of organizations are beginning to realize the impact of their operations and are thus switching to greener alternatives. Even customers have become more aware of their buying power and are therefore making a conscious decision to opt for companies that adopt environmentally sustainable business practices.

Even though total greenhouse gas emissions have gone down to around 2% below 2015 levels, according to a report published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), around 40% of these emissions have been attributed to the construction, operation and maintenance of buildings. This puts facility maintenance companies as well as facility managers in a strong position to influence the way facilities operate and ensure that they minimize their carbon footprint.

There are a number of advantages to developing an effective carbon emissions reporting and removal program. These include:

  • Cost savings and improved energy efficiency: By performing a thorough greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory of your facility, you will be able to determine the source of your carbon emissions and develop ways to improve your operations. This will ultimately help reduce costs.
  • Build your company’s reputation: If your company/facility maintains a practice of monitoring and reporting its greenhouse gas emissions, then it will be able to develop a reputation of transparency and credibility.
  • Build competitive advantage: With reduced emissions, you will be able to improve operational efficiency, become more energy efficient and innovative, improve your products and services and ultimately develop a more sustainable competitive advantage.
  • Manage risks: By measuring the GHG emissions of your facility, you will be able to develop operations that are less dependent on carbon energy. This will help prepare you for unannounced increases in energy costs as well as a rise in carbon-related regulations.

As a facility manager, you can help reduce the level of carbon emissions by adopting the following practices:

  • Regularly tune your HVAC system: The increased use of your heating and air-conditioning system results in a greater level of GHG emissions into the atmosphere. By making sure that your HVAC system is well-maintained, you can ensure that it runs much more efficiently.
  • Use green building and cleaning materials: A large portion of the chemicals or cleaning materials available in the market pose a great threat to the environment. Be sure to use green cleaning chemicals to minimize their negative impact.
  • Recycle: Implementing an effective waste management plan will help reduce the overall impact of your company’s operations on the environment. One of the ways in which this can be done is by recycling. By choosing products that have been made with recycled materials, we can ensure that less energy is used.

At Diversified Maintenance, we have set in motion a number of initiatives that help to reduce our carbon footprint. These include the use of Green Seal certified cleaning chemicals, waste stream management systems, recycling, energy management programs and high efficiency cleaning equipment. In addition, we host numerous training procedures designed to educate our employees on the best way to be energy-efficient and reduce the impact of their actions on the environment.