Article
Tradewater
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How Can Small Businesses Save Our Planet?
Did you know that over 90% of businesses globally are considered small or medium in size? This means that collectively, these businesses have the power to drive significant change in the fight against climate change.
Tradewater is dedicated to providing pathways to take climate action—for everyone. In 2022, we launched the Carbon Neutral Collective to empower small- and medium-sized businesses to measure their environmental impact, connect with other like-minded businesses, and make long-lasting positive change.
In a recent post on the Carbon Neutral Collective website, Tradewater’s Market Development Manager, Jenny Morgan, reflected on how her mother became an entrepreneur after being fired on Thanksgiving Day. Jenny’s mom took that opportunity to open her own small business, which was both an empowering and challenging experience spanning several decades.
It is this spirit of perseverance that motivated Tradewater to expand their offerings and consider ways to encourage and enable individuals, businesses, and institutions of all sizes to participate in the fight against climate change.
Beyond representing the overwhelming majority of global businesses, small- and medium-sized businesses account for more than 60% of all jobs, and 50% of all GDP in developed economies. There are currently over 332 million small businesses worldwide, giving this sector a sizable influence in the potential environmental impact of industry.
Spilt Milk Pastry is a Carbon Neutral Collective member located in Oak Park, Illinois.
With careful planning, even the smallest businesses can succeed while being environmentally conscious. As large organizations work to decarbonize their supply chains (which are often made up of much smaller entities), small- and medium-sized businesses can also improve their value proposition by participating in the circular economy. This, in turn, can help the small business itself, because it can boost customer loyalty and trust in the brand, encourage an innovative and motivated workforce, and give employees a sense of fulfillment.
By participating in initiatives like offsetting their emissions and reducing their footprint, smaller businesses – which typically emit between 10 and 300 tons of CO2 equivalent per year – can play a significant role in the fight against climate change. Can you imagine if 332 million small businesses supported the destruction of 10 tons of greenhouse gases each? This could fundamentally change the way we experience climate change.
Since the Collective was launched just months ago, our members have destroyed the equivalent of over 1,700 metric tons of greenhouse gases—equivalent to 1.8 million miles driving or 88 homes powered for a year.
Fruition Brewing, located in Watsonville, California, is a member of the Carbon Neutral Collective.
Companies can use the tools provided by Tradewater’s new Carbon Neutral Collective to calculate their emissions and take meaningful action. As "climate solutionists," the team at Tradewater aims to remove obstacles that prevent businesses from making meaningful contributions to the cause.
To all the entrepreneurs and business owners like Jenny's mother, you are a source of inspiration, and your business can be a force for good—for yourself, your customers, and the planet we live on.
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Companies should track and measure the amount of waste they produce and find opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials
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13 w
Collectively, small businesses actions can have a huge impact on sustainability.
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13 w
awesome, this is a great motivation to all upcoming entrepreneurs and a touch on how they can save the environment
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This is great! Without small businesses the world would be very dull, so it's great to see a tool like the Carbon Neutral Collective can help them get onboard the climate transition. Can businesses from all around the world join the Collective?
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I love to read about the power of small business! Small business isn't so 'small' if combined to fight against the climate crisis!
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@ford_brodeur_ I totally agree with you! In this you see the power of many!