136 / 202
KICK THE HABIT
THE CYCLE – REDUCE
136
ORGANIZATIONS
Multinationals have the opportunity to choose where to base their opera-
tions for the most profitable return. So they can decide – or not – to mini-
mize their impact by locating production close to the point of consump-
tion. They can also choose to ensure that their production and distribution
facilities are climate-neutral. So the oil giant Shell, for example, can claim
it is trying to minimize emissions from exploration, oil and gas production,
shipping and refineries: “Our customers emit six to seven times more CO
2
using our products than we do making them. A small share of the energy
products we make, such as electricity from our wind turbines, emit no CO
2
at all during use.”
The US Pew Centre for Global Climate Change
( www.pewclimate.org )re-
ports on progress made by Deutsche Telekom, a member of its Business En-
vironmental Leadership Council. The company’s vehicle fleet’s CO
2
emis-
sions have fallen about 30 per cent from their level six years ago, thanks to
the use of smaller or alternative-fuel vehicles, choosing trains instead of
car or plane travel, using videoconferencing instead of travelling at all, and
incorporating environmental impacts into the company’s technical specifi-
cations for vehicle suppliers and manufacturers.
Corporations exert significant influence over the lives of their employees, to
the extent of telling them when they have to arrive at work and leave. Stag-
gering working hours would cut congestion and perhaps lead to an even
more radical idea – telling staff to work from home. Cutting commuting
would help the planet, as well as the ex-commuters’ nerves.
Businesses can develop mobility plans for employees, organize car fleets,
and provide incentives for using public transport for commuting to work.
They can subsidize cyclists (and even simply provide proper changing and
shower rooms for them at work), and buy bicycles or electrobikes. They can
also draw up and apply strict rules for duty travel, requiring the use of trains
for all journeys below a specified distance.