Earth Day 2021 is upon us – and this year’s edition comes at a time when the health of our planet has never been more at risk.

We’re facing a climate emergency that has irreversible consequences for both nature and human society. Rising temperatures, widespread destruction of ecosystems and a higher rate of natural disasters are having a devastating impact on habitats and communities around the globe. The way we live and work must change, and nothing short of transformation will do.

Earth Day 2021 also lands during a key period of economic recovery following the pandemic. A reduction in carbon emissions was thought to be a silver lining of the multiple lockdowns we’ve endured; yet recent studies suggest that any short-term positives are likely to have little impact in the long term, with CO2 emissions set to soar past pre-pandemic levels later this year.

Right now, in the midst of evaluating day-to-day processes and restructuring their operations for the better, every business should also be taking the opportunity to review their environmental impact in fine detail and reduce their carbon footprint as a matter of urgency. This is absolutely crucial if we are to preserve our planet for generations to come.

The GE Sustainability Committee

At Gerald Edelman, we believe it’s our responsibility to lead the charge for positive action around climate change and pinpoint every single opportunity to cut our own carbon footprint. As a trusted advisor to businesses, manufacturers and suppliers across many different industries, it’s also our duty to support clients to balance their purpose and profit with the impact it has on the environment.

Our new Sustainability Committee has been mandated to deliver on both counts. Led by Hiten Patel, the committee will be responsible for making sustainability a central part of our business strategy and delivering Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at every level of our organisation. We are also going to great lengths to educate every member of our staff, ensuring that they actively engage with their own personal responsibility around climate change.

‘It’s time to shift our thinking beyond profit and make environmental and social risks a major part of our decision-making,’ Hiten adds. ‘Whether at a business or individual level, each of us has a moral responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint and try to rectify the significant damage done to our planet. We’re standing on the precipice of disaster, and the decisions we make now will forever impact the future of our planet.

Richard Kleiner, CEO at Gerald Edelman, also commented: ‘I’m really pleased to announce that our new Sustainability Committee will be running multiple initiatives over the coming months to educate our people and steer us in the right direction. We understand that transformation on the scale we need doesn’t happen overnight; yet this marks our commitment to be at the forefront of change within our industry. In celebration of Earth Day 2021, we urge you to do the same within your business.’

A few great causes

In addition to reducing your carbon emissions and finding ways to transform your organisation for the better, we also recommend reading up on the following causes and lending your support wherever possible:

Earth Day – The mission of the official Earth Day charity is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. The charity now works with more than 75,000 partners in over 190 countries to drive positive action for the planet.

Carbon Offsetting – This fantastic initiative from Dutch Green Business supports individuals and businesses aiming to cut their carbon footprint, with a particular focus on air travel.

Earthly.org – Earthly works closely with organisations to help reduce the amount of waste they produce from their products, services and teams, leading them to become ‘climate-positive’.