Consider the following two lines from a poem by the 19th-century British poet Francis Thompson: “That thou canst not stir a flower / Without troubling of a star.”
Now, consider the immensely complex ecosystem called planet Earth, and the mind-bending challenge of solving climate change.
Thompson’s deft genius summarizes our dilemma perfectly. And he hints at an answer. Because while we are indeed separate from nature, we are also irrefutably part of nature.
Every individual act weaves the tapestry of human existence. And our only planet is unwell as a consequence.
The World in Climate Crisis. What To Do Differently In 2023?
The climate events of 2022 could be a tipping point. It was the year that extremes were more extreme than ever.
In 2023, contact centers can make tangible and sizable impacts on their carbon footprint. Here’s how.
Wring More from Hardware. It’s An Easy Win.
The United Nations framework on climate change calls for cutting CO2 emissions by 60 percent before 2030.
The carbon footprint of hardware devices is enormous. The mining and processing operations to extract the metals that comprise them have a significant environmental impact.
Moreover, a tremendous amount of energy is required to process, create, and manufacture digital devices.
One way to reduce their environmental impact is to extend their life. ThinScale’s Device Analytics has a direct and measurable impact on achieving that.
“ThinScale’s Device Analytics feature is a first responders tool kit for IT teams,” said Gerard Adlum, Head of Content Strategy & External Comms at ThinScale.
“It pinpoints performance issues across the installed base. It precisely identifies the devices that need replacing. That reduces capital expenditures and reduces a company’s carbon footprint.”
Teleperformance, a ThinScale client, also aims to streamline the IT infrastructure to reduce energy consumption. A critical part of this is only purchasing STAR-rated and EPEAT-certified equipment.
Join The Club. Work With Vendors with an ESG Policy
Nowadays, there is constant scrutiny of the way companies impact society and the environment.
ESG, which stands for environmental, social, and governance, will require 50,000 EU companies to report on these topics starting in 2023.
“Many contact centers are committed to ESG and the green contact center movement,” said Adlum. “ThinScale is equally committed. Our products have a measurable impact on reducing the need to buy thousands of devices, and we also provide that securely.”
Ensuring vendors have such an ESG policy is critical to the green contact center of tomorrow – alongside BPO partners.
Again, consider Teleperformance as an example. The global BPO’s strategy includes several pillars, such as:
- Facilitate the Transition to a Low Carbon Economy – By helping clients reduce greenhouse gas emissions with its data-driven solutions.
- Reduce Energy Consumption – Through employing energy savings, standardized procedures, and environmental impact performance monitoring.
- Switch to Greener Energy – By increasing the percentage of renewable energy in its total electricity consumption whenever possible.
These will help Teleperformance in its mission to reduce its carbon footprint, and contact centers should also consider embracing aspects of these commitments.
Join The BYOD Movement.
The pandemic accelerated the remote work reality. With that came the BYOD work life. And with that came thorny security issues.
But there is an ancillary benefit to BYOD – reducing the carbon footprint.
If a company doesn’t buy thousands of digital devices for its remote contact center agents, it can check the box on its smaller carbon footprint initiatives.
Moreover, with a BYOD strategy, employees typically rely less on desktop computers and more on laptops, tablets, and smartphones, resulting in lower carbon emissions.
Indeed, a desktop uses an average of 200W an hour. Yet, a laptop uses 100W, at most.
As such, if an employee leaves each device on four eight hours a day, 365 days a year, estimates suggest they can save 87kg of CO2 per year.
Across an entire workforce, that is quite the saving.
Remote Working Means No Commuting. An ESG Win.
Stay-at-home employees: what better way for a company to reduce its carbon footprint? Better still, it gains credibility with ESG and socially progressive initiatives. As Adlum states:
“If a company mandates that its employees don’t have to travel daily, it can claim that it has reduced the carbon footprint associated with doing business.”
Businesses can support this with statistics from the EIA, which suggests that CO2 emissions from transport fell by 15 percent during the pandemic as companies started operating remotely.
Get a Competitive Edge: Be Socially Responsible
What starts as an outlier movement can morph into the mainstream overnight.
Generational mindsets drive economies. So, don’t underestimate the proclivities of Gen Z. They are the harbingers of future trends – and they are your customers – with big expectations.
Expect them to expect you to find a common cause with the Greta Thunberg’s of the future. Don’t worry. That can be a competitive advantage. And it could save the planet.
Click here for more information about how ThinScale transforms remote contact centers.
