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Category: acting together

#actingtogether It’s not all on you: how joining a movement can be world-changing

The final instalment of the ‘it’s not all on you’ series has arrived! This is a bit of a challenging post to write because when you research how joining a movement can be a good thing and help change the world, most of the material that you get is different organisations telling you why you should be part of their movement. However, there is something in that which is really important, people need other people for their movement. Nothing is ever changed completely by one person on their own, there are always people behind the scenes that help make it happen. This is a post all about why you should join and how joining can be world-changing.

#actingtogether It’s not all on you: how to lobby your government for change

The next instalment of the SGOs ‘its not all on you’ series is about lobbying for change. Having been interested in politics from a young age, even doing an A Level in it, lobbying is something I feel is very important to be aware of. These politicians are people we elect to represent us, so are almost contractually obligated to hear what we have to say. They may not be able to do anything, but they should receive your thoughts and feelings as a constituent that they represent.

#actingtogether Lessons we’ve learned about the importance of community

There have been lots of things that can be cited to have come out of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, even as we are still living with its affects. One of the big things we have learnt is all about the importance of community. The truth of the phrase “United we stand, divided we fall” has never been more accurate because we physically can’t beat this pandemic on our own. It takes a country of people willing to do their part in stopping the spread of this devastating bug.

#actingtogether Virtual volunteering – help causes you care about from home

Economies around the world have been hit hard by COVID-19, no one more so than charities, non-profits or small businesses. With the long term impact of the pandemic still becoming clean, people who are able may be asking themselves what they can do to help the situation. Well, this post is your answer! We at the SGO wanted to give you some options of what you can do volunteering-wise for nonprofits and small businesses near you.

#actingtogether Small changes making a big difference

At the SGO, we have a passion for helping people become more sustainable in their everyday lives and educating people as to the best way to go about doing that. One of the key things to remember when it comes to making a difference is you don’t have to make drastic life changes immediately, but making lots of smaller changes can make a big difference overall. In this post, I want to tell you about some of the small things that can collectively be done to make a difference to our carbon footprint on earth.

#actingtogether It’s not all on you: when you graduate and join the workforce – how to push for positive change from within

For people that are graduating this academic year, the thought of joining the workforce might be a little overwhelming because their final year was put on fast forward due to the pandemic. However, the SGO wanted to take the time to remind you that, as part of the generation most impacted by climate change, we should think about ways we can push for positive change in our workplace.

#actingtogether Reducing your carbon footprint

One of the most common connotations that can be found when discussing sustainability is that sustainability goes hand-in-hand with needing to reduce your carbon footprint. Rarely do people go into detail about what that actually means and how you can go about doing it, because it sounds easier than it is. Reducing your carbon footprint that will take a conscious effort and some lifestyle changes, but the benefits to you and to the environment are a worthy reward for your effort.

How to be sustainable in the modern business world

The problem facing modern business is often one of how to act more sustainably, whilst being able to stay competitive. For example, producing sustainable agricultural products means a fairer distribution of wealth throughout the supply chain, but this means that products have to be sold at a premium – when compared to the rest of the market – in order to retrieve the extra expenditure. Trying to balance a moral responsibility to make the world a better place, with running an efficient and effective business, is one that many entrepreneurs and existing business owner have struggled to achieve. This blog looks at some of the successful sustainable business initiatives that have developed over the past 20 years.

Orsted

Orsted is a Danish company with the business vision of creating a world that runs entirely off green energy. Since its business vision was changed in 2006, to one of entirely clean energy production, Orsted has cut the amount of energy that is being produced by coal power by 73%, with the ambition of eliminating coal power completely by 2023. Orsted is now a market leader in offshore wind energy, controlling 25% of the offshore wind market. Orsted is also investing heavily in greener energy initiatives like bioenergy. With this huge shift in business practice the company now has the ambitious goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 98% compared to its 2006 figures. These changes, combined with its ambitious business model, has meant that Orsted has been rated the most sustainable business by the esteemed research firm Corporate Knights.

Unilever

In 2010 Unilever announced its “Sustainable Living Plan” that set out the company’s sustainability practices and targets for the next decade. Included in this plan were directives like evolving the companies cleaning products to concentrated alternatives (that use less packaging and less water), and brands like Ben & Jerrys ensuring that their entire supply chain was Fairtrade certified. As well as making its products more sustainable, Unilever’s plan includes more ambitious social goals, the chief among which being to improve the health and wellbeing of over 1 billion people. By 2018 Unilever had surpassed this target by reaching 1.24 billion people through a combination of on-ground initiatives and with broadcast health messages as part of their media campaigns.

Tesla

When people hear the word Tesla the first things that come to their mind are Elon Musk, and electric cars. In-fact Tesla was originally created to show the world that it didn’t have to compromise to drive electric vehicles. Its latest vehicle, the Model 3, was universally well reviewed: not only as a very good electric car, but just as a very good car. Despite its fame for cars, Tesla is also a huge supplier of renewable energy production, and energy storage systems. Recently the island of Ta’u, part of American Samoa, converted its entire electrical energy production from diesel generators to a Tesla microgrid: this microgrid consisted of over 500 solar panels, and 60 powerpacks. The powerpacks alone can store around 6 megawatts of energy, enough to power the island for 3 days; they can be recharged with 7 hours of sunlight. This renewable initiative is just one of many that Tesla is currently building.