News & Analysis

World Environmental Health Day 2022 – Strengthening Environmental Health Systems for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals

Globally and in India there is a growing awareness on how environment issues are impacting business growth and sustainability of society as a whole.  By investing in green initiatives, organizations can contribute to making a positive and meaningful impact towards climate change. In addition to making the world greener and more sustainable, this will also increase business efficiency, competitive agility, employee engagement, and growth. Ultimately, this builds trust among their stakeholders.

A recent Deloitte survey found that 98% of consumers believe that brands have a responsibility to make the world better. Four in 10 say they prefer to buy sustainable goods, and a recent Deloitte survey found that 35% of consumer product executives believe that consumer attitudes do more to drive their companies toward sustainability than demands from investors, boards, or other stakeholders.

World Environmental Health Day 2022 (September 26) is an opportunity for us to reflect on how we can make our earth a better, healthier place to live in.  In recognition of this day, we promote awareness on various environmental health issues in a global setting. The International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH Council) established World Environmental Health Day in 2011 as a global platform to discuss and implement actions people can take to protect the environment health at all levels.

This year, the IFEH council has announced that the day will be celebrated with the focal idea of “Strengthening Environmental Health Systems for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals”.

Here’s a glimpse of how organizations are playing a part in protecting the environment and are coming up with innovative ideas in promoting sustainability.

While the travel industry has naturally been in “survival mode” over the past few years, now that recovery has firmly taken hold, the entire travel ecosystem is once more turning its attention to sustainability.  At Sabre, we’re focused on the environmental impact of global business operations at our own facilities. We also have a completely carbon-neutral technology infrastructure today and, by moving to Google Cloud, we will be moving to completely carbon-free by 2030.  And, we know that sustainability is just as important to our travel partners. New Sabre research into corporate travel trends found that sustainability is top of mind among business travellers. Corporate travel agents and TMCs in APAC said sustainable travel options are among the top three personalization demands they are currently experiencing from corporate clients, following requests to only travel and stay with airlines and hotels that meet stringent hygiene standards, and adding on transport options.  Our technology helps airlines and agencies, and their clients, to advance their environmental and sustainability goals. For, example, our retail and distribution portfolio includes products and solutions that can calculate the amount of carbon burned per journey, offer carbon emission reports, and identify ways to minimize passenger disruption and emissions. Sabre also offers products that improve fuel efficiency, reduce airport congestion, and enable airlines and agencies to sell “green” ancillaries. – Brett Thorstad, Vice President of Sabre Travel Solutions, Agency Sales, Asia Pacific.

 

 

“As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, World Environmental Health Day 2022 holds greater meaning and appears more crucial than ever. The value of the environmental health systems has never been more apparent than it is now. Understanding the critical link between the environment, health, and the economy, make investments in local, environment-friendly, and healthy rehabilitation imperative.

From a business perspective, green practices and CSR is growing in significance, creating the need to lay the groundwork for Earth-conscious thinking with concerted efforts and creative solutions that are in line with the global Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals.

How can we create impact? — by anticipating the worst effects of climate change and creating corporate resilience strategies supported by expert crisis management teams, we can be proactive in our approach to combating it. Adopting EV fleets and other logistical solutions can also be environment-friendly with greener footprints. In collaboration with renewable energy companies, offices, particularly those in Bangalore, can be completely powered by renewable energy and receive green building certifications.

Creating this requires action-oriented collaboration, and that’s why we’re developing industry partnerships with more than 80 companies to learn from each other, partner on common projects and arrive at game changing ideas for the future that we can bring forward as a collective force.

It is not sufficient to implement these changes at the enterprise level alone; sustainability must permeate corporate culture and gradually into daily activities. The biggest effects can come from the smallest actions. For instance, removing plastic and providing reusable cutlery at workplaces. Alternatively, corporate-gifting can evolve into green-gifting where trees are planted for employees and visitors. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each of us to ensure that we leave the earth greener for future generations – this is the real forward-looking strategy.”Ramkumar Narayanan, VP Technology & MD, VMware India

Leave a Response