Sustainability at RedGorillas
“We are at a unique stage in our history. Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about that.” ~ Sir David Attenborough
It’s no secret that our climate is changing. Over the course of the last 250 years since the advent of the first coal-powered steam engine at Glasgow, the carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere have rising steadily over the decades. Technology has been the driving force behind humanity’s growth and expansion over the last 2 centuries. Technological advancements have meant that now our mobility is faster, our average human lifespan has increased and technology has made life better in general. However, the same technological advancements have largely relied on burning of fossil fuels that have pupped billions of CO2 to our atmosphere. From the billions of piston engines that pump CO2 daily to the atmosphere to the hundreds of coal powered plants that satisfy our unquenchable need for electricity, CO2 levels are rising and time is slowly ticking our planets doomsday clock. Humanity now faces an existential threat as a result of climate change unless drastic action is taken.
Carbon dioxide levels today are higher than at any point in at least the past 800,000 years. In fact, the last time the atmospheric CO₂ amounts were this high was more than 3 million years ago, during the Mid-Pliocene Warm Period, when temperature was 2°–3°C higher than during the pre-industrial era, and sea level was 15–25 meters higher than today.
414 ppm
Scientific reports dictate that to prevent catastrophic climate change consequences, the average planet temperature rise should be kept at around 1.5 degrees Celsius and the current CO2 levels be bought down from 414ppm. However, there are already adverse results that can be seen as a result of the rising carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere.
As climate change worsens, dangerous weather events are becoming more frequent or severe. These range from the frequent and intense droughts, storms, heat waves, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and warming oceans. People in cities and towns around the world are facing the consequences, from heat waves and wildfires to coastal storms and flooding.
Here in India the consequences of climate change are all clear to see. India emits about 3 gigatons (Gt) CO2 of greenhouse gases each year; about two and a half tons per person, which is less than the world average. 7% of global emissions are emitted by India.
Temperature rises on the Tibetan Plateau are causing Himalayan glaciers to retreat, threatening the flow rate of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yamuna and other major rivers. Temperature rises are also having an adverse impact on plants and wildlife. The impact of climate change in the Himalayan region and adjoining plains of major rivers are increasing extinction rate of floral and faunal species, changing the rainfall pattern, changing the duration and overall growth of crop plants. Heat waves’ frequency and power are also increasing in India. Severe landslides and floods are also projected by scientific reports to become increasingly common in such states as Assam.
To avoid the worst effects of climate change, there is no question that we need to dramatically reduce global carbon emissions. But we must also prepare for the significant and unavoidable consequences of carbon emissions such as increasing temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, ocean acidification, sea-level rise and the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events
This is clearly a call to action. So, who should act? Here at RedGorillas we believe that all should act. The fight against climate change is a collective action. This is not just a call to action for governments to eradicate the thousands of coal powered plants that pollute our environment and enact climate-friendly policies, this is a call for everyone. No action is insignificant in this fight. A collective action of little efforts by all of us is a powerful enough to reverse the harmful effects of climate change.
At RedGorillas we are taking the first step in the fight against climate change. So as a startup in the e-commerce sector how do we and how can anyone else make a contribution to this fight? The following steps can be taken to mitigate effects of climate change:
Map out the footprint
Electric vehicles have a net-zero carbon footprint in the environment. As an e-commerce business, implementing the use of these in deliveries can be a great way to reduce the overall carbon footprint as a business.
Optimize packaging
Always pilot reusable packaging. Plastic is primarily landfilled, recycled, or incinerated each of which produces greenhouse gas emissions. We always pilot reusable packaging which helps to reduce our carbon footprint.
Supply chain sustainability
Track your supply chain sustainability status to make sure that it is climate-friendly as possible. As an e-commerce business by doing this we ensure that our backend operations are climate-friendly
Motivate customers
Educate customers to take climate action by Introducing CO2 removal donations at the checkout
Internal Carbon Tax
Adopt and practice a method to track and tax the carbon footprint within the company.
Highlight Sustainability
Highlight sustainability labels on your product pages.
What the future of sustainable Investing looks like...
Blackrock CEO Larry Fink recently said that the next 1,000 unicorns will be in climate tech. This is clearly a good financial incentive for entrepreneurs to solve the biggest challenge that is facing humanity at the moment. Climate change is a clear danger to our civilization. Drastic action must be taken. The current CO2 levels in our atmosphere are unsustainable and need to be reduced.
The next 1,000 unicorns “won’t be a search engine or media company, they will be businesses developing green hydrogen, green agriculture, green steel and green cement,” says Larry Fink Chairman and CEO of BlackRock at the #MGISummit. pic.twitter.com/TjKhEefFhC
— Saudi Green Initiative (@Gi_Saudi) October 25, 2021
"If working apart we are force powerful enough to destabilize our planet, surely working together we are powerful enough to save it!”
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