As we all try to muster through these difficult times in our nation and world, some of the things I am seeing related to environmental sustainability are giving me hope. I have been carefully watching three of the world’s largest technology companies, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, as they make environmental sustainability commitments and continue to enhance their initiatives.
The environmental sustainability work they are doing is setting a good example for other companies. They are also actively encouraging other companies to do their part for our planet. In addition, they are starting to demand it of their own supply chains.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, beautifully said in a recent news release, “Businesses have a profound opportunity to help build a more sustainable future, one born of our common concern for the planet we share.”
As the president of OurPlanet365, a firm that helps companies build their environmental sustainability platforms, I have an intense interest in how this all unfolds.
Apple has been doing some interesting things related to the entire lifecycle of its products which are outlined in this interesting article in Quartz. The company is already carbon neutral today for its own corporate emissions worldwide. It recently announced a commitment to be “100 percent carbon neutral for its supply chain and products by 2030.” Lisa Jackson, formerly with the EPA, is Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives and reports directly to Cook.
Microsoft has also made several compelling and ambitious environmental sustainability announcements this year. The four pillars it is focused on include carbon, ecosystems, water and waste. One of the most recent announcements was about its efforts to reduce waste. Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer of Microsoft, framed it well when he said “…waste is…a lack of ingenuity and a lack of innovation for what you can be doing with something that’s sitting right there in front of you.”
Joppa also recently wrote a blog post, “Progress on our goal to be carbon negative by 2030,” which is a good overview of that important effort.
Microsoft has yet to talk extensively about its last pillar, water. As someone who was passionately focused on ocean conservation for a few years, I am keenly interested in hearing more about what Microsoft will do in that area. The company is also doing good things with the sustainability of its devices, This is all outlined in a comprehensive report. I am guessing their FY2020 report will be coming out soon.
As far as Amazon, they are making some good commitments as well. I recently listened to the smart and likable Kara Hurst, Vice President and Head of Sustainability at Amazon, during a virtual discussion about sustainability hosted by the Puget Sound Business Journal. In addition to outlining their several critical environmental commitments, she mentioned that more than 4500 Amazon employees around the world have volunteered to be what they call “Sustainability Ambassadors” for the company. These employees, in 160 teams, evaluate opportunities and provide ideas for what Amazon can do to curb emissions, reduce waste, create more energy efficiencies, etc. in the various locations where they work.
(From my discussions with Microsoft, many employees at their company are also raising their hands to volunteer on environmental sustainability needs.)
Hurst of Amazon also talked about extending what they know about environmental sustainability to other companies. Her advice was to “Get started even if you don’t know how. Do something. And don’t be afraid to ask questions.” The most recent report on what Amazon is doing in sustainability came out in June 2020 and is well done and easy to digest.
The great thing about all of this is that each of these three wildly successful companies have in recent years taken environmental sustainability seriously. They are pushing themselves and are helping to educate other corporations on what to think about and how to do it.
If you are considering putting an environmental sustainability platform together for your company, or enhancing what you have, I can help. There are many important business reasons for your company to do it. You can reach me here to get started.
This post first appeared on the OurPlanet365 website on August 17, 2020.
