why green business is important
Oct 1, 2020
William Nixon, YSEC Project Director
As we maneuver through the current pandemic and continue to respond to climate change, it is imperative that businesses and industries push for better environmental practices to reduce our collective impact on the earth. Small and large businesses have been the engine for innovation and prosperity during the past and must continue to do so for the upcoming challenges that we all face. YSEC is excited to be a part of our client’s transition to a greener future. We have asked our Executive Team “Why is green business important to you?” to find out what has inspired them to join YSEC’s mission.
Hanh-Phuc Cao Hoang
Marketing Director
“As the member of a global team that developed natural disaster resilience strategies for countries in the Caribbean, one of my responsibilities was assessing the trade-offs between accelerating business activity and mitigating the potential impact on the environment. As evidenced by the detrimental effects of global climate change that we are already seeing, clearly businesses can no longer afford to focus on the here and now. To me, a green business is one that adopts systems thinking in management and operations to avoid unintended consequences and to identify the steps it needs to take to make a positive impact on the society and the environment. In return, it is our responsibility, at the very least, to support responsible businesses that are transparent about their practices.”
“To me, going green is one of the key growth strategies for businesses. In the wave of climate change and sustainability, companies' number one motivator to support green movements is the image and reputation they present to the public. However, going green offers companies tremendous benefits beyond that, including cost-saving, productivity-enhancing, and innovating. Progressive organizations are the ones leveraging their environmental strategy not only to protect the planet, but also to innovate, create value, and build competitive advantage, which is imperative for companies to sustain and thrive.”
Vivian D. Parlak
Co-Managing Director
William Nixon
Project Director
“Under the past and current capitalist structure, our society has enjoyed an endless sense of consumption with little regard for the damage that we cause to the earth. The time has come and gone where we can no longer turn a blind eye to the impact that we have through our business practices. We must do better. The economy can no longer come at the cost of the environment.
Furthermore, we must push for actual change to business practices through sustainable material sourcing, initiatives, and overall goals. It must become the norm that a company’s mission is more than just profit if we hope to mitigate our impact on climate change. Collectively, we must fight against businesses using the environment as a marketing ploy to increase profits. Businesses must pursue substantial change that utilizes less destructive practices while simultaneously increasing their commitment to giving back to their local community. Business, much like the rest of society, needs to do better, for the sake of our Earth and our future. There will be no world if green business isn’t important to us all.”
“Businesses have a big role to play in ensuring sustainable development. Resources are consumed to provide goods and services, which in turn produce waste products. All of these components have a cost that is not always measured with weighted concern. Green businesses to me are networks of individuals who are genuinely committed to investing resources to analyze their processes and mitigate negative impacts on communities and environments. It’s possible to have just and rewarding practices. Responding to the overwhelming evidence simply must be regarded as the most favorable course of action for everyone, and the only real option if societies are to continue operating over these next few years.”
Vidya Rajasingam
Co-Managing Director