On the 27th of October, we celebrate sustainability day!
This sustainability day aims to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability and to teach people why we need to care for the environment and the steps on how to do so.
The recent report by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) shows clear scientific evidence that climate change is already affecting every region on our planet. If we don’t act now, it will only get worse. In times of climate change, resource scarcity, and waste overload, it has become clear that everyone (governments, businesses, and individuals) must come together and contribute to creating lasting change for a more sustainable future.
Sustainability ensures we are meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. It means we must rethink the way we do things, and we should use the sustainability day for that.
As a company, we have to commit to certain values and a sustainability strategy with specific targets to improve Christof Industries’ impact on the environment and society. We feel committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure the next generations can meet their needs. As part of this process, we also want to encourage our employees and any other individuals to make changes that can contribute to a better and cleaner world.
Taking action may seem overwhelming, and you may think that there’s not much we can do as individuals, but if we all make small changes, we can make a difference! Here are some tips that we have gathered with our sustainability team for you to act more sustainably:
- Fly less or could you go by train? And if that’s impossible, did you know that choosing to fly economy also makes a huge difference? For example, flying from London to Hong Kong is 3.4 tonnes of CO2e in economy compared to 13.5 tonnes in first class!
- Cycle or walk to work or choose to use public transportation. If you need to use the car, share the ride with your co-workers; remember that you can fit five persons in a vehicle.
- Change the way you eat! Eating less meat and buying local and seasonal also reduces your emissions – a vegetarian diet can save around 0.8 tonnes of CO2e per year!!
- Reduce your food waste – buy smarter to reduce the amount of food that is thrown away. Pay attention to the expiration date of what you buy and try to buy groceries for the week and not the entire month. Then you don’t need to throw food away, and since you buy less, you also don’t need a car to go shopping.
- Consume wisely – Reduce your consumption where possible and choose more sustainable products if your situation permits. Try second-hand shops instead of buying brand new clothes, and if you don’t use or need something anymore, don’t throw it away; donate.
- Repair & Reuse – before throwing things away and buying something new, try to repair or reuse your belongings. Be creative; some things cannot be used anymore for the original purposes but can be used as decoration or transformed into something else.
- Dial it down – turning your heating down by just one degree in your home or in the office can make a difference!
- Save water – turn the tap off while cleaning your teeth and try to have shorter showers.
- Green your money – Choose banks or pension funds that invest responsibly. Research and inform yourself about these institutions before choosing one.
- Spread the word – speak to colleagues, friends, family! You can make a difference by spreading the word about sustainability! Share this post with your friends and family, and start making a difference today!
