Environmental Sustainability

Is it possible to live in a world with prosperity where climate change is significantly increasing, water and air are getting polluted, and forests are being torn down? Of course not! Meeting our needs and the needs of future generations and maintaining a healthy life in the world depends on how we treat nature today. The faster we consume our resources and the worse we treat our environment, the closer we will come to a life of inferior quality. This is exactly where environmental sustainability comes into play. It is possible to achieve a much healthier world by integrating environmental sustainability into our lives, individually and socially. Come, let us look at all the details about environmental sustainability.

What is Environmental Sustainability?

The US Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental sustainability as “Meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” In other words, environmental sustainability is the responsibility to protect natural resources and ecosystems to ensure the well-being of both present and future generations.

Many of our behaviors negatively impact environmental sustainability, such as consuming more resources than the earth can provide, emitting more carbon emissions than forests can absorb, being energy inefficient, and wasting water and food.

Building environmental sustainability requires a multifaceted and comprehensive approach. To achieve this approach, it is important to consider all elements of sustainability (environment, economy, social) together.

1. Environment

The concept of environmental sustainability is based on the preservation of ecological balance. The health of all ecosystems, from oceans to forests, ensures the preservation of biodiversity and the increase of air quality. It protects aquatic life. Therefore, environmental sustainability covers all responsible actions required to protect the environment.

2. Economy

Sustainable initiatives and movements need to be economically viable to last. This approach does not place sustainability behind profitability. Rather, it aims to find the balance point where businesses and producers can thrive without harming ecological systems. A sustainable economy focuses on long-term gains, prioritizing practices that reduce waste and increase efficiency, such as using solar panels for energy production. The environment and the economy, which are two separate elements of sustainability, also complement and nourish each other.

3. Social Equality

After environment and economy, social equity is an element of sustainability. According to social equity, all members of society should have equal access to resources and opportunities. One group should not be more affected than another by possible environmental degradation. In this respect, environmental sustainability, together with social equity, implies an inclusive and fair approach. It draws attention to the fact that environmental health closely relates to the quality of life of individuals.

Benefits of Achieving Environmental Sustainability

We can list the benefits that achieving environmental sustainability can provide us with as follows.

Conserves Resources for Future Generations

Establishing environmental sustainability ensures the conservation of natural resources. By taking steps such as choosing sustainable methods for energy efficiency over fossil fuels, using recycling effectively, and establishing zero waste policies, future generations can inherit a rich world that they will need to survive and thrive.

Provides Ecological Balance

By adopting a globally sustainable lifestyle, habitats can be protected, and environmental pollution minimized. In this way, the continuity of biological species threatened with extinction can be ensured.

Contributes to People Being Healthier

In communities that do not use energy sources such as natural gas and oil, do not release harmful waste into nature, and strive for a smaller carbon footprint, that is, adopt sustainable practices, people breathe cleaner air and have access to clean water. This can help individuals become healthier and live a better quality of life by reducing their risk of contracting diseases.

Reduces Conflicts

When natural resources are managed sustainably, conflicts and competition over resources can be reduced, which can lead to a more harmonious society.

What Can You Do Individually to Support Environmental Sustainability?

The World Health Organization predicts that climate change could cause 250 thousand additional deaths between 2030 and 2050. While we put the lives of future generations at risk by not paying due attention to environmental sustainability, it is important to remember that life may be much more difficult soon. Let us talk briefly about some sustainability practices that you can integrate into your life to prevent this and live in a better world.

Shop Consciously

Every product you buy has an environmental footprint. From the supply of materials used for production to the energy required for production, from packaging to logistics services, all products and services you purchase have an impact on the world.

Even if you compost or upcycle the product after use, its footprint on the earth continues to exist. Therefore, before buying an item, it is useful to think twice whether you need it or not.

You can also pay attention to the following points in your shopping:

• Before buying a new product, you can browse second-hand sale or swap sites.
• Choose sustainable brands that use eco-friendly packaging or recycled materials, renewable energy sources and fair wages for their employees.
• Reduce carbon emissions from transportation by shopping locally as much as possible.
• By investing in quality, long-lasting items made from natural materials, you can avoid the need to replace items frequently.

Review Your Plastic Use

According to UNESCO data, plastic waste causes the death of over 1 million seabirds and 100 thousand marine mammals annually. In addition, unconscious plastic use leads to the deterioration of natural ecosystems and an increase in global warming. Therefore, reducing the use of plastic is critical for environmental sustainability.

Here are some practices you can implement at this point:

• You can choose reusable fabric or mesh bags instead of plastic bags for your shopping.
• Instead of single-use items such as plastic water bottles, straws, and cups, you can choose items that you can clean and use repeatedly.
• You can reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging by buying in bulk instead of choosing products sold individually in your food shopping.
• You can find healthier substitutes for your plastic items. For example, you can prefer glass products in storage containers.
• Consider composting to reduce your use of plastic garbage bags.

Prevent Food Waste

According to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021, more than 1 billion tons of food is wasted every year. If sufficient measures are not taken, the amount of waste is expected to grow. Waste not only harms environmental sustainability but also negatively affects the economy.

Here are some measures you can take individually at this point:

• Before you go shopping, you can review your household supplies and make a list of the food products you need.
• You can plan your meals on a weekly basis. So, you know what you need when you shop.
• You can freeze foods that are close to their expiration date and that you will not be able to use immediately.
• You can carry your leftover food with you and eat it during your lunch break.
• When shopping, you can allocate a portion of your shopping to healthy fruits and vegetables that are misshapen, but you think no one will buy.

In addition to these practices, you can also contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing water consumption, choosing renewable energy sources, and driving less. Most importantly, you can share your awareness with others and encourage them to adopt a life that contributes to environmental sustainability.

How Can Businesses Contribute to Environmental Sustainability?

While individual efforts are extremely valuable in achieving environmental sustainability, it is also critical for businesses and producers to adopt sustainable business models. Let us take a brief look at some of the benefits a business owner can realize by making their business sustainable:

• Your business gets more attention from partners and staff who care about environmental sustainability.
• You can attract customers who care about sustainability and get ahead of competitors who are not environmentally friendly.
• You can reduce your costs by using local resources and renewable energies.

You can implement the practices we will talk about to make your business sustainable:

• You can start by discussing your business values ​​and sustainability goals with all your team members.
• You can train your team on sustainability.
• You can reduce your dependence on non-renewable natural energy sources (fossil fuels and the like) for production. For example, you can use solar hot water systems, rainwater tanks.
• You can take care to use recycled materials in your offices.
• You can strive to recycle as much of your production waste as possible.
• Choose recyclable materials for your packaging and reduce the use of plastic if possible.
• By reviewing your material supply, you can learn your business partners’ sensitivity to environmental sustainability and update your working policies.

If you want to make your business more sustainable but do not know where to start, you can choose our QuickCarbon software. Thanks to the user-friendly software, the corporate footprint of your business can be calculated within the scope of ISO 14064-1:2018 Standard and GHG Protocol, and reports are sent to you. With all the data and graphics presented, you can determine new strategies to reduce the carbon emissions generated by your business.