"Business and the Environment"!

Lets relate how business has contributed to our environment and what can be done to control it. Lets take example of business and subsequent air pollution.

Well, after hearing the term "air pollution" and "business" What comes to our mind? How has business contributed? Does its contribution has any economic consequence? 

Well air pollution has become a critical issue in many developing countries lately, including India. It has inflicted a massive toll on the Indian economy. Its scale, complexity and urgency necessitate a strong, coherent and coordinated fiscal response by the government.

Although the issue has received a lot of attention from media because it has caused several premature deaths and other health issues. However, the economic consequences of it haven't been emphasized yet. 

According to survey, businesses in India are the second largest contributors to PM2.5, after biomass burning. Air pollution is neither good for our health nor the economy, and below are some of the reasons why businesses need to consider air pollution as a serious problem in the industry. 

1st of all comes, Employee health-

Employees are the backbone of any business. Air pollution is harmful for health, they cause cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and strokes, all of which has been linked to toxic air particles getting into the blood stream. 

Secondly, Employee productivity -

Studies have shown that higher ambient air pollution has a significant association with the number of times an employee takes time off work owing to illness, which directly affects the productivity of the business.

 

Talent attraction :- Air pollution also affects the recruitment process of businesses; who would want to work in a place with such risk to their healths? Another important reason to consider air pollution as a serious issue for business is the progression of stricter norms on pollution.

So now, What Can Businesses Do?

There are different type of solutions for businesses. Some may appear small, but have potentially large benefits and co-benefits. They can be-

1) By encouraging employees to use public transport or ride share, rather than private transport.

2) Capacity building and employee awareness programs are some other more natural strategies because many employees are not aware of how air pollution is affecting their health and how a small change in their behavior can help protect the environment. 

3) By setting standards and establishing programmes that monitor air quality, businesses can reduce the environmental footprint of their operations as well as those of their suppliers. Such measures are beneficial for both the environment and their core. 

4)Business can also calculate the life cycle air pollution footprint of their products to assess the opportunity for reducing air pollution. This may help to identify the process change, technology improvement, and material substitutions to make their product more sustainable.

Some businesses like the heads of India’s prominent corporate groups, including Tata Motors, Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co Ltd., Dalmia Bharat, Arvind Ltd, Kirloskar Brothers Limited, KPIT Technologies, Mahindra Lifespaces and others, have committed to Clean Air for All principles, to shape actions that can be undertaken by the private sector towards supporting India’s ambient air quality goals. However, we can't be satisfied at this as more needs to be done to get a better environment in our nation. 

They must recognise the problems associated with air pollution and act in ways so as to ensure cleaner air quality for all.

The mounting problem of air pollution may not immediately seem like a pressing issue for businesses outside of the automotive industry. However, the revelation of bad air as a source of significant health implications and research revealing a potential link to employee productivity and talent attraction should be of concern to all businesses.

You can have a read on what are the other things that businesses can do to save environment here:-

https://earth911.com/business-policy/8-ways-your-business-can-help-save-the-environment/