5 Strategies for Linking Green & the Bottom Line
If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.
— Lord Kelvin (Sir William Thompson)
February 2010 Pacesetter Poll
In our February 2010 poll, 50% of respondents indicated their intention to
“use ethical decision making to have a positive impact on society and the
environment” in 2010.
This reflects a growing consensus that environmental sustainability is not
just a regulatory matter, but part of a much larger obligation, a viewpoint
that is reflected in annual reports, product brochures, and press releases
as well as compliance reports.
Executing these intentions economically is the issue of the day. Many
industries, including energy, mining, and power generation, are by nature
carbon intensive, and consequently, face particular challenges when it comes
to reducing their carbon footprint.
That said, many of Matrikon’s customers are developing new competencies to
become greener and more profitable at the same time.
Here are five strategies that in our view are behind their success. Follow
these, and you’ll achieve a win-win.
Strategy No. 1
Attack waste
The basic link between green and profitability is fairly straightforward -
operations that pollute excessively or consume more resources than necessary
are by nature inefficient, and therefore cost more than they should.
By attacking waste, companies can make simultaneous improvements on both fronts.
Strategy No. 2
Be Proactive
When companies proactively invest in comprehensive environmental management
practices, profitability actually increases.
(Read More)
Strategy No. 3
Involve the Entire Company
If environmental management is to become profitable, it can no longer be
practiced by an isolated compliance department. Relevant data has to be
made available to a wide variety of people, all of whom may have different
mandates and different criteria for evaluating the information.
(Read More)
Strategy No. 4
Practice Continuous Improvement
Like other quality initiatives, environmental management is an ongoing journey.
The achievement of superior environmental performance will always be subject
to changing conditions – valves will develop leaks, materials will change,
customer specifications will evolve, and new regulations will come into effect.
Continuous improvement recognizes the need for a perpetual focus on finding
inefficiencies and eliminating them. The goal is clear, but there is no
completion date.
(Read More)
Strategy No. 5
Build an Information Strategy with the Data you Already Have
Since the instrumentation and control industries went digital a few decades ago,
organizations have collected measurement data in virtually all segments of their
operations that can be profitably applied to environmental management. For every
environmental “offender” – for example, a leaky valve causing a chemical discharge
into the environment – there is likely digital information available to measure,
report, and improve it.
(Read More)