Companies worldwide are focusing heavily on reducing carbon emissions and, eventually, reaching a point where their production is carbon neutral. Founding Partner and CEO of Viridios Group Eddie Listorti says that the shift toward being eco-friendlier can help businesses create significant value in the long term.
Sustainability is a central tenet of many new businesses today, just as long-standing companies are doing all they can to shift operations to achieve carbon neutrality.
While creating and scaling a green business can be challenging — whether you run a long-standing business or are a newcomer — there are principles you can follow to create value through carbon neutrality.
Be Ambitious
The sky is the limit with green business, so don’t sell yourself short. While simply becoming eco-friendly is a good start, think much bigger if you want to create significant value.
If you’re starting a new business, create an ambitious goal from the beginning. That could be ensuring that your business produces net-zero carbon emissions from the start or that your product or service will help others do the same.
Set a firm goal for what you want to achieve and when you want to achieve it, and integrate that carbon goal into your entire business model.
Partner with Like-Minded Businesses
Achieving net-zero emissions is going to take a lot of teamwork. Sometimes, that teamwork will need to come from within an industry, not just outside it.
Savvy business owners will realize this from the onset and establish strategic partnerships with like-minded business owners. Together, these two companies — or a group of companies — can play a part in reducing their carbon emissions and that of an entire industry.
By supporting each other, the partnership members can close any gaps in the carbon reduction cycle, become more efficient in the process, save money, and boost each other’s bottom lines.
What’s more, customers love harmony and setting aside competition for the greater good. Partnering with other businesses in this way can create value for you in the long run.
Recruit Talented Individuals
Recruiting talented individuals is always advisable, no matter your endeavour. When you want to take on a major project such as achieving net neutrality, it becomes even more critical to have the right people on your team, as Eddie Listorti says.
From the get-go, you should incorporate green practices into your recruiting efforts. You should market and search for individuals who have stated environmental goals and ambitions and have experience in the arena.
Further, you should recruit individuals who display the ability to be nimble, to adjust on the fly, and to think outside the box — as these are all skills that will be necessary to achieve something groundbreaking.
Carbon neutrality can’t just be an idea; it has to be a set plan you put into action and see through to completion. Having the right people in place to help lead you through this change is essential.
About Eddie Listorti
Eddie Listorti is the Founding Partner and CEO of Viridios Group. He has a proven track record with 30 years in business and banking. His experience includes managing teams of over 2,000 people and annual revenues exceeding AUD 2 billion. Mr Listorti has held board positions in industry bodies and joint venture partnerships.
