Engaging in Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance [ESG] is increasingly gaining traction as companies move towards sustainability in order to protect the planet. There is an urgent need for public and private sectors to understand the risks associated with climate change and move toward a low carbon and sustainable way of operating. This will go a long way in protecting the economies as well as society. Not only is this action required by companies with operations that directly affect the environment through physical waste and emissions to develop strategies for countering their environmental impact, but rather a collective effort of all companies is needed to craft a framework in engaging and participating in ESG initiatives.
Adhering to the Paris Agreement
Therefore, by adopting a business strategy that ensures their company is eco-friendly and sustainable, brands stand to gain more consumer trust, which results in higher revenues. Such a strategy will also be in tandem with the Paris Agreement, which contemplates a need for business and consumers, as well as government and citizens, to step up to the plate and contribute solutions. In the last few decades — in a trend that culminated in the Paris Agreement — experts have been increasingly unanimous that government alone cannot solve the problem of climate change.
Locally, such a strategy is in keeping with the National Climate Change Action Plan [NCCAP] 2018-2022, which aims at making Kenya climate resilient and prosperous. Kenya’s priority climate actions are in the six mitigation sectors set out in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC]; agriculture, energy, forestry, industry, transport and waste. The actions are expected to lower greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, and help Kenya meet its Nationally Determined Contribution goal of abating the emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.
Further, Deloitte Global third-annual Readiness Report, The Fourth Industrial Revolution: At the Intersection of Readiness and Responsibility shows that not only is the environment on executives’ minds, but also that climate change and environmental sustainability have become integral to how they’re managing their businesses. Business leaders are accepting a responsibility to act, and many are rolling out programs addressing resource scarcity and environmental sustainability. To that end, more than 90 percent of executives said their companies have sustainability initiatives in place or on the drawing board.
Towards Sustainability: Epson’s Shift from Laser to Inkjet
It is in recognition of this that Global technology company Epson recently announced the end of the sale of laser printers worldwide, citing the technology’s limited ability to make meaningful sustainability advances. Leveraging our Heat-free piezo inkjet technology, the new series, like our other inkjets, requires far less energy than comparative laser printers. While a laser requires heat to fuse toner to a page, our inkjets operate cold, requiring less power and printing immediately without requiring warm-up time. This not only makes them more efficient, but also more sustainable – where there is less heat, there is less energy.
They also use fewer consumable parts, in turn requiring fewer consumables to be made, shipped, stored and managed at end-of-life. And because they are the smallest in their class, they not only fit easily into office environments and save space, but they also require fewer resources during production.
As a company we’ve committed to sustainable innovation and action, and our printing business will focus 100% on piezo Heat-Free inkjet, leveraging our propriety technology to deliver efficient, sustainable print solutions for our partners and end users. We will continue to focus our efforts on models that have sustainability at their very core.
We take cognizance of the fact that ESG is now more important than ever. A company not prioritizing ESG in the early stages will likely face lagging ratings and a negative sustainability profile in the public eye, which, in turn, could result in less access to capital and difficulty hiring top talent. On the other hand, company leaders who make efforts to improve labor conditions, promote diversity, give back to the community and take a stand on socioeconomic issues play a major role in strengthening a company’s brand.