Globally, there has been a big push towards being green and sustainable. These terms get thrown around a lot these days, but what does it actually mean? When something is sustainable, can be utilised now without having negative effects and repercussions on future generations.

Businesses have a key role to play in making the change and commitment to sustainable energy, and in Australia, they’re making positive steps towards this goal.

The Current Situation

Energy production is not generally seen as an environmentally friendly procedure. Right from the beginning, there are major disruptions and effects on our planet. Coal, oil, and natural gas are the fossil fuels. It’s these that have been the major source of energy for many years. But they all have to be extracted out of the ground, an unsustainable process that destroys natural habitats.

To convert the fossil fuels into energy that we are able to use, they have to be burned. Whilst this burning gives us electricity, it also releases countless greenhouse gasses, like carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. This layer of harmful gas traps heat onto the planet and is the main contributor to global warming and climate change. Global warming has already had a massive effect on our planet, but if fossil fuels continued to be used for energy production, the world could see some catastrophic consequences.

Sustainable Energy Sources

You’ve consistently been told to turn off lights and electrical items when you aren’t using them to save energy and electricity. But would this be necessary if the energy is sustainably sourced?

Numerous innovative ideas working towards the goal of sustainable energy have been developed and implemented across the globe. Technological ways in which energy from natural sources can be harnessed are at the forefront of this shift to sustainable energy production. Solar panels use the energy from the sun to create electricity, wind turbines are designed to turn and generate electricity only using the power of the wind, hydropower systems convert the force of a flowing river into energy that can be used.

Utilising these natural energy sources reduces the amount of greenhouse gasses being released into the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. Plus, unlike coal, oil, and natural gas, these abundant energy sources will never run out, which is why it is often referred to as renewable energy. There’s nothing more sustainable than that!

What Businesses Can Do

Whilst saving energy by turning equipment and devices off is still essential, swapping to a sustainable energy provider is a big step that businesses can take to reduce their contribution of greenhouse gas emissions. Australia’s largest retailer, Woolworths, a supermarket and hotel giant, has made the commitment to work towards sustainable practices. Having the ambitious target of using 100% renewable energy by 2025, amongst other sustainable initiatives, is a pioneering move that will hopefully lead other businesses to take steps in the same direction.

Renewable energy sources play a major role in the global shift towards sustainability, and large businesses like Woolworths have the ability to make huge strides towards this goal.