Let’s not mince our words. The ‘sustainability challenge’ that faces all of us, especially those of us in business, is immense. How do you produce the same, or more, with less waste and less environmental impact, without increasing the cost and still remaining competitive? There are a number of hurdles in that statement alone!
But it doesn’t stop there. How do you retrain your staff to do something they have done for years, but in a different way? How do you provide the change management necessary that keeps every department aligned? where do you find the money for all the new tech required? How do you source suppliers with the right sustainability credentials? Imagine a racetrack before you with each of these hurdles laid out… how do you feel? Overwhelmed?
12 years ago I was trying to persuade CEOs and Engineering Managers to implement Variable Speed Drive technology on AC motors in order to save power. The technology was proven and the opportunity was clear, But still, I struggled to sell.
The same hurdles came up every time I gave my presentation: Not enough CAPEX, not enough engineering capacity, unwillingness to take the risk of new technology, and inability to report robustly. After about my 100th pitch, I sat down and decided there must be a way of overcoming these same hurdles. ‘Necessity is the mother of invention,’ so they say.
So it got me thinking. What if I provided the technology to businesses as a turn-key project, CAPEX free, and then charged a fixed monthly fee which comes out of the savings created? No savings no fee! Then I’d use a 3rd party to report on those savings using independent metering. This was the birthing of my company EnergyDrive.
As I’m retiring from EnergyDrive to pursue my sustainability consultancy, these are the latest stats on what EnergyDrive have saved our clients to date: 720GigaWatt/hour of power, which equates to R82 million. Our environmental figures below are equally impressive…
The point is this. The hurdles that were preventing companies from realising real savings can be overcome, but often require someone outside to help them see how.
I do believe that nearly all the hurdles that are preventing businesses from reaching their sustainability goals can be overcome through out-the-box thinking, engaging with employees to find solutions waiting to be tapped into, and inviting outside perspectives that can unlock innovative thinking around the hurdles in front of them.
At TheClimateChange, we are working with environmental scientists, culture development specialists, and group facilitators, to engage businesses and enable new perspectives so they can overcome hurdles.
Want in? We’d love to hear from you.