Why Green Is the New Black
Companies across the globe are exploring more sustainable ways of doing business. According to a study by Deloitte, over half of businesses in the United States have increased their commitment to sustainability. Additionally, 90% of executives think sustainability is important and see the value in prioritizing it.
What does it mean to be a sustainable business? Sustainability is more than environmentalism; it’s an approach to business that creates long-term value by considering how your organization functions in the economic, social, and ecological environment. A sustainable company is one that grounds its business decisions equally in environmental, financial, and social concerns.
Why organizations should care about sustainability
Developing sustainable business practices benefits businesses financially, environmentally, and socially. Some major advantages of prioritizing sustainability include:
Reduced waste and energy usage. Companies that develop sustainable practices see a reduction in their energy usage and the waste they produce. Implementing sustainable business practices helps organizations reduce their carbon footprint, become more energy neutral, and dramatically cut costs.
Increase revenue. Sustainable business strategies boost revenues by cutting operating costs and achieving better borrowing rates. The more sustainable your business is, the more you save on energy bills. Additionally, the government offers tax credits and rebates to companies who meet certain sustainability metrics.
Create customer loyalty and improve brand image. Today, many customers are mindful of how their buying choices affect the environment. The smart consumer is aware of the difference between genuine climate action and greenwashing, and they want to put their money behind companies that are conscious of their impact on the environment and society. In a previously mentioned study by Deloitte, two thirds of surveyed companies report that their customers want to see a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable sources. Prioritizing sustainability enhances your business’ brand image and may give you an advantage over your competitors.
Attract investments. Financial experts have found that companies with consistent sustainable business practices are more likely to attract investors than companies who do not.
Improve recruitment and increase employee retention. Employees want to work at companies who are committed to sustainability and integrate ESG strategies into their business models. A study on how climate change is transforming the workplace showed that 72% of respondents were concerned about environmental ethics and 65% were more likely to work for a company with strong environmental practices.
ChannelWorks’ solutions and services are inherently sustainable
Sustainability is one of our core values here at ChannelWorks and it’s reflected in every service we offer. Third-party maintenance, pre-owned hardware, and professional services like IT divest, buy-back, and ITAD all work to lower energy consumption and reduce waste. Some of our sustainability-driven solutions include:
Third-party maintenance (TPM) extends the useful life of IT assets, allowing companies to use gear even after the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) stops supporting it. OEMs typically push expensive equipment refreshes every 3-5 years, despite the fact that most data center gear can last for years longer. When organizations have to get new equipment and de-install the old, it adds to the continuously growing pile of corporate e-waste in landfills. TPM allows companies to continue using equipment even after the OEM support stops, which saves time, money, and reduces waste.
Hardware. Producing new data center equipment requires raw materials and energy. Materials for new gear must be mined and transported to a plant, where new equipment is created and then transported several more times before arriving to the end user. Buying and using pre-owned hardware significantly cuts down on the amount of energy and resources used to support data center operations. ChannelWorks will buy your used assets as part of our buy-back program, keeping your old gear out of landfills. We refurbish this equipment and reuse it once it has passed our rigorous quality testing. This process allows us to use existing equipment rather than requiring new resources from the environment. We also can extend the life of equipment with repairs and replacements.
Professional Services. Once equipment can truly no longer be reused, we provide data destruction and decommissioning services that ensure components are recycled through an R2 certified facility. Our IT Asset Disposition services include decommissioning and disposing of your customer’s data center hardware, ensuring your customers meet ESG standards.
Green may be the new black, but sustainability is more than just a trend. With many major enterprises creating CSR departments, and devoting substantial resources to ensuring compliance with ESG standards, sustainability is a business imperative for many brands. How are you helping your customers be more sustainable?