Nowadays, startups are shifting their focus in order to create a strategic direction that is environmentally conscious. This is a key action that lets them stay relevant to their mission, vision and values. Indeed, businesses are actually considering sustainability as much as financial returns. Why is that?
It is undeniable that the earth is currently facing numerous environmental sustainability issues. Startups have taken it upon them to address these crises urgently:
- Climate change: it is the most high-profile challenge the world is facing today. A study conducted by Georgetown University states that “scientists predict that if the increase in greenhouse gas emissions continues unbated, temperatures will rise by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century”. Plus, according to U.N Secretary-General António Guterres, “we need more concrete plans, more ambition from more countries and more businesses. We need all financial institutions, public and private, to choose, once and for all, the green economy”
- Waste production: food waste is an aspect of waste production. It is essential for governments, institutions and startups to adopt environmentally-friendly pest-remediation measures. In fact, according to the Journal of Agricultural Science, “the total global potential loss due to pests varied from about 50% in wheat to more than 8-% in cotton production. The responses are estimated as losses of 26-29% for soybean, wheat and cotton, and 31, 37 and 40% for maize, rice and potatoes, respectively”
- Water pollution: this challenge puts potable water supplies at risk. According to the World Wildlife Federation, “Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use. As a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year”
- Deforestation: forests actually cover a third of the world’s landmass and play a very important role in the wider environment. They are essential as they remove carbon dioxide from the air, are major for the biodiversity, provide resources, protect against floods and prevent erosion. However, developing nations often fail to take care of the soil after its exploitation.
- Air pollution: according to the World Health Organization, 2.2 million people die each year from air pollution. Who defines it as “fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections. Industry, transportation, coal power plants and household solid fuel usage are major contributors to air pollution.”
The environmental challenges are some of the most urgent in the world today. They are sustainable issues that startups and emerging business can focus on when establishing their business model and plan.
Bibliography
How startups can lead the way on sustainability. (2021, 17 décembre). TechBlast. Consulté le 16 septembre 2022, à l’adresse https://techblast.co.uk/opinion/how-startups-can-lead-the-way-on-sustainability/
Top 8 Environmental Sustainability Issues We Need to Address | NREP. (s. d.). Consulté le 16 septembre 2022, à l’adresse https://www.nrep.org/blog/environmental-sustainability-issues
80,000 Hours. (2022, 13 septembre). Our current list of the most important world problems. Consulté le 16 septembre 2022, à l’adresse https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvZCZBhCiARIsAPXbajuj2gjc21TNpw_VVBlJBSw7UPobnumMQpG-g3yNGubjRKt5PbdKfWAaAvNREALw_wcB
Network for Business Sustainability. (2022a, mars 26). Top 12 Business Sustainability Issues and Topics. Network for Business Sustainability (NBS). Consulté le 16 septembre 2022, à l’adresse https://nbs.net/top-12-sustainability-issues-in-2020/
