History was made when the climate deal was finally signed in Paris this month. The next step is ratification followed by the implementation strategy that most analysts are not confident would be achieved.
This series of articles, in the past months, focussed on achieving sustainability, where emphasis was on sparing use of scarce resources and concern for the environment and society at large.
After the climate change agreement, it is befitting to consider how the arrangement can benefit society at large.
It is necessary that businesses, at a micro level, adopt sustainability that will contribute to the macro goal of reducing climate change.
The article shall focus on micro activities, the small changes with the big impact at global level.
Sustainability is hinged on two main objectives of efficient use of natural and economic resources and the respect for society and living things in the course of doing business.
The activities are controlled at company level and have a big impact on the climate deal recently signed.
The major challenge for business is trying to strike the balance between efficient and economic use of limited resources and the need to consider the society and the environment in the operation of the business.
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This is the dilemma of the whole world that can only be addressed if there is consensus of the way forward, after agreeing on the fact that the carbon footprint of industrialised nations is very high at the peril of developing nations, especially Africa.
National laws are now a requirement to the signatories of the climate deal to regulate the efficient use of natural resources and ensure that products, production processes and disposal of toxic waste takes into account considerations for the environment and society at large.
It is now important that laws are enacted to direct the manner with which scarce natural resources shall be exploited.
Further, the laws should prescribe safe methods of processing the natural resources to limit the effects on the environment.
The laws need to extend to the protection of the environment and society at large.
This implies the enactment of laws to govern the extraction of resources, to ensure that apart from economic extraction that considers that future generations would also want to benefit from the non-renewable resources, prescribe extraction and purification methods that do not damage the environment.
While institutions such as the Environmental Management Agency are the lead watchdog on the matter, a lot can be done behind the scenes by the manufacturing, mining and energy sectors, as they design the products and services to offer to their customers.
Business can initiate sustainability without being compelled by any specific laws to support of the climate change deal.
Innovation by business is the answer to lessen the investment that the government would require to achieve sustainability in line with the climate change deal.
Another small move with big impact is to incorporate sustainability in the procurement policies for both the private and public sector.
Most policies define the disposal methods for assets to achieve economy and do not incorporate green designs necessary for achieving global warming targets agreed by the signing of the climate change deal.
Green designs are proactive measures of achieving sustainable development and are the valve for climate degradation.
Serious nations shall incorporate sustainable designs and specifications in the business processes, while individual industries shall focus on regulating the extraction and manufacturing processes to limit their effects on the climate in general.
Nyasha Chizu is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply writing in his personal capacity. Feedback: [email protected]; Skype: nyasha. Chizu
