TERESA MADALENO More economists are open today to talking about ecological sustainability as it relates to business growth. They are seeing through specific examples how environmental sustainability can propel companies forward.
In Australia, environmental critics call the government’s actions on climate change, “indecisive”, but there are a number of companies that are ignoring the political system and moving forward by doing what they think is right.
Interface Carpets is a good example of a company moving full speed ahead when it comes to sustainability and growth. The commercial carpet manufacturer made a commitment several years ago to lower its impact on the environment. They even brought an eco team together that included biomimicry experts. For those who are not aware, biomimicry is the design of sustainable solutions by emulating nature’s patterns. By 2020, Interface Carpets will have eliminated oil from their production of synthetic carpet tiles and today they are powered by 100 percent renewable energy. They also use efficient transportation.
Soft Landing is another enterprise in Australia that proves sustainability and growth go hand in hand. They recycle mattresses and employ the disadvantaged. They started as one small operation in 2010 and have expanded nation wide. They take everything from the mattress - steel springs, foam, husk, felt pad, timber, and fabric and it gets recycled into new products.
Of course, Australia isn’t the only country where government is lagging behind in terms of climate change action; we all know the new leader in power in the United States has taken a strong stand against the climate fight. Many companies in the U.S are pledging to follow the lead of organizations like Australia’s Interface Carpets and Soft Landing by doing what they can internally to grow in an eco-friendly fashion, but that’s not all - over one hundred U.S businesses have joined a coalition, vowing to commit to the goals of the Paris agreement even without President Donald Trump’s approval. According to the New York Times, they are currently in talks to submit their own pledge to the United Nations and become part of the Paris Agreement to fill the place the U.S government is planning to vacate.