Business

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Climate action lies at the heart of sustainability. Here’s a fact for you: becoming sustainability driven and taking climate action will benefit your business. And not just by a little bit. Did you know that <a href="https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/articles/why-all-businesses-should-embrace-sustainability/">44% of investors</a> won’t invest in companies with poor sustainability performance? A sustainable and transparent business strategy is crucial to strengthening your brand and keeping your business thriving. Sustainability isn’t the future anymore. It’s the present.
If you or your partners still need convincing, check out the following incredible benefits from prioritising sustainability as a core element of your business strategy:
<ol>
<li> Saving your company time and money</li>
<li> Enhancing competitive advantage and strengthening your brand</li>
<li> Easily (and cheaply) attracting and retaining top talent</li>
<li> Improving your investment opportunities and keeping stakeholders happy</li>
</ol>

Sustainable business strategies, such as reducing waste-production, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business">offsetting your carbon emissions</a>, and limiting your use of energy, water or raw materials, can decrease your production costs.
You can also increase your revenue significantly by expanding into new, profitable markets and enjoying tax benefits (e.g. tax credits, business deductions, and government subsidies).
If you think long-term, which all business owners should, this means that by investing in sustainable practices now, you’ll be able to reap some amazing benefits down the line.

2. Enhancing competitive advantage and strengthening your brand

An increasing number of businesses have been and are investing in sustainable practices. As a matter of fact, <a href="https://www.business.hsbc.com/navigator/sustainability">23% of businesses</a> are already using sustainable practices to grow their sales.
One reason for shifting to more sustainable practices is simply because the market demands it. <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/sustainable-consumer.html">Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of environmental problems</a>, ethical activities of organisations, and the environmental and social consequences of their purchase decisions. If they have the option, <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/324001">most consumers would rather spend their money on sustainable products</a>.
Sustainable practices simply have a positive effect on a company’s competitive position and reputation. In general, sustainable products have a distinctive quality. By prioritising sustainability, you can strengthen your brand and customer loyalty, and charge higher prices for your products.

3. Easily (and cheaply) attracting and retaining top talent

If you’re worried about losing capital by investing in sustainable strategies, don’t. First of all, as you’ve seen, your business will benefit from going green in many different ways. Secondly, a lot of people would rather work for a green company and receive a smaller salary than work at a big company with no sustainable agenda.
In fact, results from a survey conducted on 1,000 employees working for big US companies, show that <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90306556/most-millennials-would-take-a-pay-cut-to-work-at-a-sustainable-company">70% of people</a> would be more likely to work for a company with a strong environmental prioritisation. Nearly half of the respondents (and three-quarters of the Millennials) would accept a $5,000-10,000 (£4,000-8,000) pay-cut. That’s capital you can use to invest in sustainable business practices.
The time investment that it would take to implement sustainable practices in your business now, could enable you to attract and retain top talent, which will allow you to grow in the future. This is exactly what companies are doing at the moment &#8211; <a href="https://www.business.hsbc.com/navigator/sustainability">19% of your peers</a> are using sustainability credentials to attract and retain top talent.

4. Improving your investment opportunities and keeping stakeholders happy

It’s not only consumers and employees who care about sustainable business practices. Non-governmental organisations, media, and governments monitor companies and encourage companies to include sustainability as an integral part of their business activities.
As you’ve read in the introduction, sustainable businesses are more interesting to stakeholders: <a href="https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/articles/why-all-businesses-should-embrace-sustainability/">44% of investors</a> say that they “divest from companies with poor sustainability performance”.
Internalising these stakeholder needs can be highly profitable in the long term. Long-term value creation leads to strategic business benefits, as sustainable business practices are a rich source of innovation, differentiation, and competitive advantage.
Also, if companies create a positive image for stakeholders, these parties are more likely to ignore any possible negative information.
This doesn’t mean that image and competitive advantage are more important than compliance, though. In fact, <a href="https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/articles/why-all-businesses-should-embrace-sustainability/">investors shy away</a> from compliance risks and that’s why your company should always address compliance first.
To start, make sure that you integrate sustainable business practices into your company. Then, worry about your image.

Become a Climate Action Workforce with Ecologi

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One cost-effective and efficient way to tangibly enhance the sustainability of your business is by starting a <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/climate-action-workforce">Climate Action Workforce</a>. Support your sustainability journey with a simple monthly subscription that rewards your team, and our planet. Give your employees a more meaningful perk by funding certified carbon avoidance and tree planting projects every month.
How does Ecologi help your company to become a Climate Action Workforce? 
Well, for the price of a sandwich (starting at £5.35) per employee per month, you’ll be:
<ul>
<li>Automatically fund certified high-impact carbon avoidance projects all around the world, as well as funding tree planting that boosts local communities and biodiversity.</li>
<li> Planting trees which enhance biodiversity, and growing your ‘company forest’.</li>
<li> Funding carbon avoidance projects.</li>
</ul>
Your own ‘company forest’ will be visible for your employees and your customers. For every sale or new client, you can plant a tree using our <a href="https://apps.shopify.com/ecologi">Shopify</a> or <a href="https://zapier.com/apps/ecologi/integrations">Zapier</a> integrations, or our <a href="https://docs.ecologi.com/docs/public-api-docs/b3A6NzgxOTkxNQ-purchase-trees">tree-planting API</a>. You can also set up a free <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/marketplace">pay-as-you-go</a> account with Ecologi, and manually add trees to your company forest whenever you choose. This is a great way to show your commitment to sustainable business practices. You can even add a badge to your website, showing how many trees you’ve planted so far, as well as joining our <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/leaderboards/business">leaderboard of businesses with the highest number of trees planted</a>. 
Read more about these options in our article on <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/how-to-plant-trees-with-your-business-products">how to plant trees for your business</a> or <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/checkout">start growing</a> your company forest now.

Take the first step towards net-zero with Ecologi Zero

<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/carbon-neutral-vs-net-zero-whats-the-difference">Net-zero is the necessary next step after carbon neutral</a> in your sustainability plan. It is incredibly ambitious, but essential: collectively we <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/">must reach net-zero by 2050, or else we will exceed the 1.5°C target</a> and lock-in some of the most extreme impacts of climate change. 
<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/zero">Ecologi Zero</a> is our innovative new carbon accounting software that helps your business get on the pathway to net-zero. We remove the complexity and make the transition to a sustainable business a breeze. 
By securely connecting to your accounting software, Ecologi is able to produce a real-time analysis of your business’ emissions. On the basis of these insights, your business will be able to pinpoint opportunities for emissions reduction and create the perfect environment for setting certified science-based targets for your path to net-zero.
Explore <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/our-products">our products</a> and start your climate journey today, alternatively fill out <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/business-signup">this form</a> to schedule a call with our team 🌿

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Hopescrolling: The good news timeline

It’s not all bad. While there’s a lot of negative news about the climate, let’s not forget the good stuff. Find climate wins, reasons to be hopeful and plenty of positivity in our good news timeline.

The good news timeline

Ready to make a difference for our planet? Get in touch, and let’s chat about how we can help you on your climate journey. 

In Depth

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Just as we make sure all our reforestation projects are designed in a way that is most beneficial to our planet, our other terrestrial restoration projects need to be of the highest quality too. Wildflower, Wetlands and Wildlife projects have the potential to provide vital support to a wide array of species, boosting local, national and international biodiversity, as well as being an important and secure carbon store. But for these benefits to come to fruition the projects must be implemented properly, in line with best practices.
We know you might have some questions about this new type of project, so we’ve put together answers to some FAQs to help you learn more about our Wildflower, Wetlands and Wildlife project.

Your questions answered

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Before and after: See how your climate action is making a difference

Before and after: This is how your Ecologi impact is transforming landscapes and lives.

We love a before and after shot at Ecologi. They&#8217;re an incredible way to show the impact of the projects supported by our community. Whether it’s deforested land turning back to verdant green, or solar projects springing to life, sometimes two simple images are worth a thousand words.
On this blog you’ll find snapshot images that paint pictures of the difference our supported climate projects are making, all around the world. Thank you to our community for making it all possible! 
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📍 Location: Ouarzazate, Morocco
⌛ Dates: 2015 –2020
🌱 Project: Verified Carbon Standard
🌳 Type: Solar energy

Morocco

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From a bare area of desert to a haven of clean energy. The Ouarzazate II solar project is a major milestone in Morocco&#8217;s journey towards a clean energy future. It is one of the largest concentrated solar power plants in the world and is expected to supply around 500 GWh per year to Morocco’s power grid.
The project uses thousands of concave mirrors to concentrate solar energy and generate electricity, which can be stored for up to 7 hours. This allows the project to continue generating electricity even after the sun sets.
The Ouarzazate II solar project supplies electricity to nearly 2 million Moroccans and will prevent emissions equivalent to 300,544 tCO2e per year over its 10 year crediting period. The project has also created around 7,000 local jobs and incorporated co-projects that promote the creation of cooperatives, educational opportunities, and skills training.
Learn more about this<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/morocco-solar"> project</a>.

📍 Location: Brodoclea, North Ayrshire, Scotland
⌛ Dates: 2018 –2021
🌱 Project: Future Forest Company
🌳 Type: Temperate reforestation

Scotland

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Nestled in North Ayrshire, Brodoclea is a sprawling 174-hectare haven of broadleaf woodland that plays host to woolly pigs, the incredible ecological restoration engineers! 
Under <a href="https://thefutureforestcompany.com/">The Future Forest Company</a>&#8216;s guidance, these pigs awaken the soil seed bank, nourish soil microbiology, create space for sapling growth, reduce competition, and form pondlets for breeding amphibians and invertebrates. This enriches the ecosystem, offering sustenance for birds and materials for nests. 
Since 2018, the Ecologi community has helped make a significant impact on this site, funding the planting of 56,170 trees, with a focus on native broadleaf species including oak and birch, creating important habitat for local invertebrate and bird species.

📍 Location: Belavenika, Madagascar.
⌛ Dates: 2019 –2022
🌱 Project: Eden Reforestation Projects
🌳 Type: Mangrove reforestation

Madagascar

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Madagascar’s mangroves are amazing habitats that, sadly, have been deforested over the years and become degraded. This project is one of three currently being supported by the Ecologi community that are replanting mangroves in Madagascar to bring benefits to local biodiversity and communities.
Creating new sustainable income streams for local people is a key component of the project, as is female empowerment. The project employs an average of 85 people per month, with female employees making up approximately 37.5% of the workforce in 2022.
As a result of their involvement in this project, local people are now able to purchase more nutritious food, leading to improved health, and can afford to send their children to school.
To date, the Ecologi community has funded 7.9 million trees on this site in north-west Madagascar.
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📍 Location: Marotaola, Madagascar.
⌛ Dates: 2019 –2022
🌱 Project: Eden Reforestation Projects
🌳 Type: Mangrove reforestation

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This was the very first project we supported, so it holds a special place in our hearts. Seeing its progress over the last four years has brought us so much joy! 
Native mangrove species are being planted on this site, including Avicennia marina, Rhizophora mucronata, and Ceriops tagal. To date, the Ecologi community has funded the planting of over 10 million trees here, and there’s room for another million. 
This site is particularly fascinating as the mangroves are only separated from the open ocean by a thin strip of sand about 100m wide. Despite being more exposed to the ocean, mangroves that have successfully become established are growing well, creating an important habitat for coastal biodiversity and protecting the coastline from erosion by the waves.
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📍 Location: Vĩnh Hảo, Tuy Phong District, Bình Thuận, Vietnam
⌛ Dates: 2018 –2023
🌱 Project: Verified Carbon Standard
☀️ Type: Solar

Vietnam

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Vietnam&#8217;s demand for energy has been rising sharply since the 1990s, and it’s a demand that the country has struggled to fulfil, with an overreliance on coal and frequent power outages.
This project, in the Vinh Hao commune, Vietnam, is generating electricity using photovoltaic technology, which transforms sunlight into electricity. The project is on around 60ha of salt farm, and will generate 83,750MWh of power annually.
Local people have been involved throughout the design phase and operation of the project. The construction process of the project was carefully managed to minimise the impact on the local environment. During the operation of the project, pollution will also be minimised through a series of measures, including ensuring no littering takes place, and waste materials will be responsibly disposed of off-site.
Over the 10-year crediting period, the project will prevent 704,110tCO2e from being emitted by replacing energy in the grid that would otherwise have come from fossil fuels.
The project has given a real boost to the living standards of local communities through economic support funds: the commune gratitude fund in the Vinh Hao commune, and the learning promotion fund in the Binh Thuan province.
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📍 Location: Mount Elgon, Uganda. 
⌛ Dates: 2021 – 2023
🌱 Project: Trees for the Future
🌳 Type: Reforestation and sustainable agroforestry

Uganda

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Trees for the Future’s innovative Forest Gardens approach is all about engaging farmers in reforestation and sustainable agroforestry. The farmers take part in a 4-year programme, learning the skills they need to better manage their land. This brings multiple benefits, including protected crops, stabilised soils, and habitats for pollinators, as well as increasing household incomes.
Over the past two years, the Ecologi community has funded the planting of 766,663 trees in Forest Gardens through this project. Three hundred farmers (57% of whom are women) are involved, with 3,522 people benefitting from the project so far. 
Pictured is 56-year-old Philister Khana, a farmer enrolled in the programme. In just two years she’s taken the number of trees on her plot from 4 to 2,001!
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Grow your business by driving sustainability

1. Saving your company time and money

2. Enhancing competitive advantage and strengthening your brand

3. Easily (and cheaply) attracting and retaining top talent

4. Improving your investment opportunities and keeping stakeholders happy

Become a Climate Action Workforce with Ecologi

Take the first step towards net-zero with Ecologi Zero

More posts

Hopescrolling: The good news timeline

Your questions answered about our Wildflowers, Wetlands and Wildlife project

Before and after: See how your climate action is making a difference

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