Sustainability at work

Since the industrialisation, humans have been emitting more and more greenhouse gases into the environment - mostly regardless of the consequences. For some years now, however, climate change has been increasingly present and is rightly causing great concern. Research shows that more than ⅔ of greenhouse gases are now attributable to human lifestyle. But we can still slow down climate change and mitigate its catastrophic effects. Learn how you can reduce your carbon footprint at work and work more sustainably in this article.

List of content:

• The anthropogenic greenhouse effect
• Tips for more sustainability at work
• Summary: All tips at a glance
  

The anthropogenic greenhouse effect

The fact that the climate is changing is not a bad thing per se, since it has already changed a lot in the course of the Earth's history and changes between ice ages and warm periods every two to three million years.
Problematic, however, is that the Earth's climate has changed unnaturally in recent centuries. Particularly clear changes have occurred since industrialisation. Due to our high energy consumption and wasteful lifestyles, we are emitting more and more greenhouse gases into the air and depleting our resources so that they cannot regenerate. The increasing concentration of greenhouse gases is thus referred to as the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, i.e. an amplification of the natural greenhouse effect by the greenhouse gases emitted by humans. 
In the meantime, various calculation methods confirm that a large part of the global warming since the middle of the 20th century can be attributed to humans. Only by changing our mindset, reflecting and changing our way of life can we curb the drastic consequences of climate change.

Tips for more sustainability at work

1. Office Sharing, desk sharing and co-working spaces
   Sustainability starts with the use of space and the choice of workplace. Especially in cities, space is very limited and often characterised by high rents. In order to use the available space efficiently, it is advisable to occupy as many workplaces as possible and offer unused space elsewhere. Sharing work space, work materials and technical equipment not only minimises costs, but can also generate creative and inspiring dynamics.
   Desk sharing in particular is a simple method that offers a multitude of savings opportunities and is thus ideal as a first step towards reducing unnecessary space consumption and costs.
   
   
2. Save paper: Avoid printing and copying
   In the meantime, many invoices and documents are stored digitally. Nevertheless, a lot of paper is still wasted. It is advisable to reconsider where additional paper can be saved in the company or at one's own workplace. By the way, small to-do slips or notepads are particularly big paper guzzlers. If it is nevertheless unavoidable, always print on both sides of the paper and use the backs of old paper as notes.
   
   
3. Avoiding unnecessary e-mails
   Did you know that sending an email produces an average of 4g of CO2? Extrapolated to about 850 billion mails per year (excluding spam), that already adds up to over 410 million tonnes of CO2 per year. In comparison, global air traffic produced 918 million tonnes of CO2 in 2018.
   The remedy is to sort and tidy up your inbox: unsubscribe from unnecessary spam mails and newsletters, regularly delete emails that are no longer needed and minimise the sending of avoidable mails (especially with large attachments). (Source: Futura-Sciences 2022)
   
   
4. Ecosia instead of Google
   A suitable alternative to Google is offered by the search engine Ecosia. Ecosia pays special attention to data protection and plants trees from its profits. In addition, the search engine acts very transparently, obtains server energy only from renewable sources and regularly publishes financial reports.
   
   
5. Invest in sustainable office supplies
   The wear and tear on pens, highlighters, stapler needles or even paper clips is very high in most companies. Calculated, a refillable alternative or the purchase of a stapler without metal is usually worthwhile.
   
   
6. Drinks at the workplace: tap water and fairtrade coffee
   On average, an adult should drink about 2.5 litres of water a day - especially to maintain concentration at work. It is best to drink tap water, as there is no extra packaging waste. Especially in Germany, the water quality is very good and can be consumed directly from the tap without any problems. Alternatively, if possible, water from glass bottles should be used, as these are easily recyclable and almost inert, i.e. they do not allow interaction between packaging and contents. 
   Since in many companies coffee is a staple food in addition to water, attention should at least be paid to purchasing fair trade coffee. In addition, it is best to use an espresso maker, French press or filter machine for preparation, as coffee machines with capsules produce too much waste.
   
   
7. Repairing technical devices and using them for a long time
   In the age of digitalisation and the modern working world, nothing works without computers, mobile phones and other technologies. Since they are used and charged every day, it is normal for them to wear out and break. However, since the production, transport and recycling of technical devices emits massive amounts of CO2 emissions and the working conditions of those who assemble the hardware are extremely questionable, care should be taken to ensure that the technology is used for as long as possible. Especially in the case of desk sharing, the purchase of unnecessary technical equipment can be dispensed with, as the workplaces are exchanged and empty spaces do not have to be equipped.
   
   
8. Exchange with colleagues
   The topic of sustainability should not be neglected internally either and should be discussed regularly. Work out strengths and weaknesses together and see where you can s. Motivate each other and establish a sustainable company culture.

Summary: All tips at a glance

Supporting tools like desk.ly can help you identify and use potential savings. By reducing unnecessary office space, you can not only save costs but also a lot of CO2 and thus take a step towards a sustainable company culture.
If you still have questions about desk sharing or new work approaches, please visit the website or book your free expert demo!