On this Earth Day and beyond, sustainability should be an essential consideration for businesses as awareness and concern rises across all types of Earth-dwellers. And whether the intention is to better serve their customers or just pursue a personal passion, more and more companies are adopting sustainable practices and business tactics.
At Kickstand, we’ve been lucky enough to work with many inspiring industry leaders taking sustainability into their own hands. In honor of Earth Day, we’d like to shout a few of them out:
Outrider – a pioneer in autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs – is a great example of how a company can fully incorporate sustainability into its brand identity. As they automate freight transportation, they are also commercializing sustainable freight transportation by deploying zero-emission systems.
“As enterprises implement automation in distribution yards, it’s imperative to consider how it can be done more sustainably, safely, and efficiently. This led to Outrider’s decision to standardize its autonomous system on electric yard trucks, which in time, will replace diesel yard trucks.” — Andrew Smith, founder and CEO of Outrider
Salesloft is a leading sales engagement platform that exists to make sellers’ lives easier. The company recently partnered with all-in-one sustainability platform Green Places to set six ambitious initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of their business in 2022. These initiatives include reducing flight emissions; cleaner commuting; waste reduction; investing in the Alaskan wilderness; adding solar to the grid; and re-wilding Vermont. As a result, the company is a certified Green Place to Work.
“There’s an opportunity for us to take action, to become carbon neutral, and to have a net-zero impact on the world. Any company who plans to be around for a long time should be focused on that.” – Kyle Porter, CEO of Salesloft
Progress, a Leed-certified provider of various vital software platforms for businesses, has implemented simple practices around the office in order to further their greater goal of sustainability. These steps include automated LED lights and faucets, energy-efficient HVACs and a “white roof,” all of which conserve energy. Progress also formed an “Earth Team” with five priorities for 2022: collaborating with green organizations and local government agencies; encouraging sustainability outside the office; supporting local cleanup initiatives; reducing use of single-use plastic; and implementing responsible swag purchases.
“For me, COVID-19 has made it clear that sustainability starts with us. With us drastically having to change the way we work, and moving to a work-from-home setting, our office footprint reduced dramatically. But the impact has shifted to our homes. We are now personally responsible. The simple habits that we have at home, like turning off our light when not in the room, can easily transfer to the office.” — Vesko Kantchev, Director of Facilities and Workplace Services at Progress
Coupa, a global leader in business procurement platforms, received the Green Supply Chain Award in 2020 and a Silver EcoVadis rating in 2021. The company recently published an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report with advice on how other companies can follow in Coupa’s footsteps by considering the sustainability of their entire supply chain and partners.
“Procurement organizations can influence supplier decisions for the greater good of their companies, and the world. In fact, procurement teams can become heroes if given the right guidance and tools to enable this new paradigm of — not just saving money and driving efficiencies — but doing so in a green, responsible, and inclusive manner. Procurement leaders and supply chain managers can use these tools to improve supplier diversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their carbon footprint, and avoid buying from suppliers that engage in unethical business practices, such as child labor.” — Phil Foti, Sr. Director of Product Strategy & Innovation at Coupa
As writer and environmental activist Wendell Berry says, “the Earth is what we all have in common.” That means it’s up to all of us to care for our shared home, so today – and every day – let’s all do our part to make environmentally responsible choices and support those businesses working to leave the world better than we found it.
