Why Air-Pollution Should Be A Top Priority For Businesses

Climate change and air pollution has been lacking the pivotal voice of corporate leaders and business pioneers for many years. While standard practices have slowly begun adjusting to better match the corporate responsibility and intervention that our planet needs and deserves, there is still much to address in terms of air quality management in business. Environmental companies like Gondwana champion effective plans for the future that can make a real difference to managing and monitoring air pollution and adhering to the protocols and standards set by government.

Contaminants You Breathe

Air pollution is caused by the emission of particulates and gases that are released into the atmosphere. Sources of emission occur in the combustion of fuels, farming and agriculture, transportation, solvent use, and more. Nearly every industry contributes in some form to the pollution of our air. While it is true that there are also natural forms of air pollution such as volcanoes, wildfires, and even sea spray, it is the human-driven causes over which we have the most control. The activities of daily life exacerbate the effects of pollutants in the air and cause adverse effects on air quality, contributing to adverse health impacts.

Your Relationship To Climate Change

Let’s take a look at how business add to air pollution and climate change. First of all, it is clear that even the simplest supply chains and daily operations contribute to increasing the number of pollutants being released into the air. These daily activities include:

• Harmful gases being released during the distribution or delivery phase of a business’s supply chain
• Chemicals and solvents used for the processing or cleaning phases of operation
• Construction machinery and equipment, as well as the construction itself, causes dust and other harmful particulate matter to be distributed into the air
• Energy and electricity created through the use of non-environmentally friendly fuels and sources

The next biggest contribution from business is not in pollution alone but in the attitude towards the environment and pollution. Critical, core level change is necessary for our planet. The advances in technology that businesses and consumers have at their disposal will make rapid and integrated air quality management a definite standard for all companies and brands.

Why You Should Make Air Pollution A Priority Today

As mentioned above, technology that is driven by accessible data has led to greater transparency over what a company’s air quality and climate change footprint is and what they are doing to address it. This alone should make businesses aware that they are being held accountable by the market they serve and for their actions towards protecting the environment. More than this, air pollution is actually costing the global economy billions if not trillions of dollars each year through the disruption of daily operations, and even through the negative impact it has on the productivity of your workforce.

From sick days caused by poor air quality and the correlating medical costs to the cognitive performance failures caused by the same, business is far less productive when the air is bad! Studies have shown that consumers actually spend less money on days when ozone pollution is worse than usual.

More than this, air pollution adversely affects some industries in an even more specific and negative way. Reduced crop yields, the loss of international tourism, and even the lack of production of electricity from solar panels are all direct results of air pollution.

Solutions Through Science

There are a number of practices and legislation that supports the implementation of effective air quality management systems. Impact assessments and reports, emission inventories, dispersion modelling, dust management plans, licenses, and more – all play integral roles in the solutions you need that are backed by science and, more and more, by consumer expectation and fiscal acuity.

Specialised Environmental Management Systems

Gondwana Environmental Solutions has been providing services to address air pollution since 2004. As specialists in air quality and climate change, we have an intimate understanding of your business needs to achieve better air quality management and health and safety.

Do you want to make sure you are managing your corporate responsibility? Give us a call on +27 11 472 3112 or use our convenient contact form to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you make a difference.