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Last summer, Cologix published our first annual ESG Report outlining our commitment to environmental, social and governance responsibility across the company. As I considered the opportunity to join Cologix in late 2021, I read this report and heard our leadership team echo its contents in my interactions with them during the interview process. I saw right away that Cologix has ambitious goals in our business, and I was inspired and motivated by our commitment to being best-in-class. That commitment starts in our facilities and with our employees and extends to our interactions with our vendors, customers and our dedication to our planet.
We, like so many companies around the world, have a responsibility to diminish our energy impact and address the threat of climate change that affects us all. Today, Earth Day, is a great day for us to all consider those impacts together – at Cologix and in our personal lives.
This year, Earth Day’s theme is “Invest in Our Planet.” At Cologix, we are investing in renewable energy, making energy efficiency a major part of the basis of design for our facilities and setting aggressive goals to lead our industry in environmental excellence.
On Earth Day, I invite all of you to consider your personal environmental impact as well. As we all celebrate Earth Day together, consider making your own investment in our planet this week with one or more of the following actions:
- Calculate your personal footprint. Humans use far more resources globally than the Earth can sustain. It’s estimated we are currently using 1.6 Earths to provide resources and absorb our waste. Calculate your carbon footprint to understand your personal environmental impact and where you may be able to make small changes with big impact using Global Footprint Network’s ecological footprint calculator.
- Eliminate waste. Choose one product in your life you can eliminate this week for climate impact. Consider single use plastics, paper towels or plastic straws – these changes may be small but eliminating their use even for a few days or weeks will help you to find greener options. In our household we utilize both stainless steel and glass straws as an example.
- Plan a green home project. For many people, our homes are a large part of our ecological footprint. Lighting is a great place to start for positive environmental impact. This Earth Day, consider changing some of your light bults to LED or install light switches that turn off automatically with motion sensor technology. You could also consider installing a programmable or smart thermostat to reduce heating and cooling when you’re away or asleep. If you own a dishwasher, just turning off the heat dry saves approximately 30 minutes on every cycle and 15% of the energy used by the dishwasher. Also, contact your local energy provider to inquire about changing your home’s energy source to a sustainable one like wind or solar power.
- Consider the impact of your family’s meals. For Earth Day, shop local by finding a farmer’s market or local grocer or co-op, bringing your food sources closer to your home. The United Nations estimates meat and dairy account for around 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Consider going meatless for Earth Day or even for the full week, finding alternatives with your local grocer. Try a new vegetarian or vegan recipe with your family.
- Incorporate Earth Day into your entertainment routine. Netflix has an entire category dedicated to nature and ecology documentaries. Choose one this Earth Day and watch with your friends and family, discuss what you learned and share with others.
Whatever you do to honor Earth Day this year, know that you are contributing positively to making our world healthier and more sustainable. Cologix will continue to do the same – tracking, measuring, reducing and regularly reporting on our climate footprint. If we all focus on what is within our control at home or in our career, we can have an impact on climate change across our global footprint.
