Doing more with less. Reduce the impact of our activity on the environment.
We know that current production and consumption models are depleting resources and damaging ecosystems. With SDG 12, the United Nations aspires to change these models and at SolarMente we are committed to being part of it.
The SDGs as a strategic business benchmark
At SolarMente – like many companies in Spain – we consider the SDGs as an important reference for our actions. It is a roadmap that helps us to do more with less and to reduce our impact on the environment. We have seen SDG 7 Affordable and clean energy, SDG 13 Climate action, SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth before and today we want to focus on another goal in particular: SDG 12 Responsible production and consumption.
SDG 12 Responsible production and consumption
According to the UN, in order to achieve economic growth and sustainable development, it is urgent to reduce the ecological footprint by changing the methods of production and consumption of goods and resources. Agriculture, for example, is the world’s largest consumer of water and irrigation now accounts for almost 70% of all freshwater available for human consumption, and the efficient management of shared natural resources and the way in which toxic waste and pollutants are disposed of are vital to achieving this goal. The UN also says it is important to encourage industries, businesses and consumers to recycle and reduce waste, as well as to support developing countries in moving towards sustainable consumption patterns by 2030.
SDG 12 in figuresSDG 12 figures provided by the UN
If you are as interested in this topic as we are, here are some examples of this SDG 12 and other goals in action– I really recommend it if you want to know more!
SDG 12 Responsible Production and Consumption with Self-consumption: How do you align yourself?
Responsible energy consumption
Dare to imagine your future powered by solar energy in a sustainable way!
At SolarMente we give you all the peace of mind you need to install solar panels in your home. Our process is based on giving you solutions applied to your needs to make the leap towards responsible energy self-consumption.
You will become an independent producer of green energy and prosumer (a term that derives from the fusion of the words producer and consumer, since it is the consumer of a service, which at the same time participates in the production of the same).
You will use solar energy instead of fossil fuels. With this, we help you to decrease the dependence on oil from foreign nations to generate electricity.
We offer you the option of paying for the installation upfront or financed for up to 12 years, but the price does not move.We would like you to schedule a call with our Solar Coach who will explain how easy the process is and how you can benefit from solar energy, helping your family to be sustainable. That’s why we’re offering free video consultations with our solar experts for the first 50 people who sign up here, so get excited!
SDG 12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
As well as helping homeowners like you to align with SDG 12 by installing solar, we are doing the same with our actions. From efficient use of energy and water in the office, to using biodegradable, recyclable and reusable materials in our daily consumption, to combating food waste and implementing plans to manage the waste we inevitably generate today, our goal really is to become a ZeroWaste office!We prioritise good practices in the management of our waste , energy and water consumption . To achieve this, communication to the outside world is just as important as training within the company, which is a basic tool to generate a change in habits and in the organisational culture of the company.
To begin our contribution to the Sustainable Development Goal, the preliminary actions we have taken – and which you can start implementing at home today – have been:
We assessed the waste streams we generate:
Determining the source, type and quantities of waste generated, to establish a baseline and identify areas for improvement.
Classifying waste streams by type of material (liquid, solid, organic, recyclable or hazardous waste) to determine the nature of their treatment and disposal.
We implement measures to minimise the use of disposable products and consumables in general.
We encourage separate collection and maximum recycling of waste produced, including food waste, and its disposal prior to treatment.
2. We identify ecosystems for a partnership:
We identify key waste management partners and waste disposal companies that could serve as partners to achieve zero waste targets.
We reduce, reuse, recycle our waste and constantly look for circular economy opportunities.
So, it makes us very happy to share that from this month at SolarMente we are part of the AbonoKm0 initiative that accompanies us on our path towards sustainability to achieve the goal of revaluing 100% of the organic waste from the office:🍌🌱We participate in the composting network and transform our organic waste into compost .
We actively collaborate with community gardens in our neighbourhood.
Wouter and Florencia at the Learning Lunch in the office together with AbonoKm0 at the beginning of our participation in this 100% ecological and sustainable proposal.
There are many more initiatives like the one we have put into practice. For example, you can do like Marina, who created a group on Nextdoor called “Huerto en Casa” where she shares ideas, tips and seeds with her neighbours. With more than 40 neighbours in her group, Marina wants to make her neighbourhood a greener, more sustainable space with more bees!
SolarMente’s challenges and aspirations for the fulfilment of SDG 12
Sourcing ethically is not easy. It means we have to work with our suppliers to improve conditions within the workplaces they use or own. There are certain things we can do and questions we can ask ourselves to improve those working conditions. In addition, we can develop a strong sustainable purchasing and subcontracting policy (Supplier Policy), which includes criteria and requirements related to social, cultural and environmental factors (such as local suppliers, ecological, kilometre 0, fair trade, certified or recognised products and services, to name a few).Developing long-term personal relationships with our suppliers will help them to have a more stable working relationship, and will also give us a better understanding of our social and environmental impact and the ability to achieve improvements with our suppliers.
In this way, we aim to improve the world we live in, both internally and externally. Promoting responsible and sustainable production and consumption patterns.
We will continue to work hard to align ourselves with all the goals of this and more SDGs, and we will tell you about it as we have been doing so far!😃
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