Environmental Responsibility

The public, both the vocal minority and the silent majority, is
beginning to demand more and more environmental responsibility from the
corporate sector. This new focus of low environmental impact has
centered on the design stage of large projects. The wheels are greased
and moving only after a new construction project can claim it is green
enough to warrant a green-light. LEEDS certification (an acronym that is
thoroughly explained at http://greenworkexperience.com) has become a hot new sticker that is coveted
by companies worldwide. What has driven this fundamental focus shift?

An inconvenient truth.

Al Gore wasn’t the first person to ever talk about global warming (or
are we calling it climate change now?) but his message resonated in a
way previous cries of save the planet failed to. In the course of his
documentary he made the most comprehensive and convincing case for
humanity’s harmful effects on the planet. Everyone saw his movie. Not
everyone agreed with everything in it, but they were talking about it
for months.

Today, six years after the movies release, the
issues it championed are much more commonly discussed than they were. A
flood of other documentary films and accompanying news articles and
coverage have made the environment a major issue. This trend doubtless
continue.

Environmental responsibility.

There are few
stances that a company can take without fear of some backlash from
someone. For example: a company refuses to use migrant workers without
legal status. Some people applaud the choice, others may be ambivalent.
But, some minorities might feel discriminated against and quickly
organize against said company. What started out as an attempt to follow
the rules and earn a reputation as a law-abiding company shifts into a
no win scenario. With environmental responsibility the planet wins and
we all win equally.  How could there be a downside?