“We've made a bold commitment to become carbon negative and have eliminated nearly 80% of our carbon footprint.”
John H. Chuang Founder and CEO, Aquent
Aquent Founder and CEO, John H. Chuang, recently authored a piece for Fast Company in which he noted that too few businesses have approached sustainability with the urgency necessitated by the threat of climate change. While many businesses have purchased carbon offsets, the effectiveness of those offsets has come into question. Chuang writes that long-term sustainability will require leaders to make decisions that change the way we work. As evidence, he points to research that shows global carbon dioxide emissions fell by 6.4% during the pandemic as fewer people commuted to work. Over the past three years, Aquent eliminated nearly 80% of its carbon footprint by moving its workforce fully remote and closing the majority of its offices. Chuang believes that it will take more than remote work to solve the world’s sustainability issues. Businesses must engage in long-term projects and commit to investments in climate initiatives such as solar and wind energy and reforestation. Aquent has invested in five solar energy projects, with plans to extend to even more. Chuang acknowledges that change can be difficult, but believes that there will be no bottom line to worry about a generation from now if business leaders don’t take deliberate measures to confront climate change today.
This article originally appeared on Fast Company - POV: Carbon offsets are not enough. Leaders need to change the way we work to address climate change.
