Kasha Spotlight // Empowering Women’s Health & Self-Care
July 7, 2021
Swvl // Our First Member at Delta Corner Annex – Westlands
July 12, 2021
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions in support of our lifestyle and activities.
“The earth is what we all have in common.”- Wendell Berry
An example of the average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. They are measured in equivalent tons of CO2, during the period of a year, and they are either associated with an individual, an organization, a product or an event, among others.
The prolonged increase in the carbon footprint has inevitably led to an increase in the greenhouse effect and a change in the weather seasons. The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases in earth’s atmosphere trap the sun’s heat. As a result the process makes earth much warmer, in normal circumstances this is a good thing but when it is in excess it can lead to adverse environmental effects.
Uncontrolled rise in temperatures can lead to melting glaciers, ice floes, an extension of arid climate zones which lead to a decrease in plant biomass and thus to a loss of natural storage of carbon. The melting glaciers led to an increase in the ocean levels. As earth’s climate warms, the permafrost thaws which can release large quantities of methane.
Human beings are one of the greatest contributors to this and they have a lot of power to reduce their carbon footprint so as to prevent the side effects that come with it. Whether you are at home, work, or school there are a number of ways in which you can actively take part in reducing your carbon footprint.
In today’s article, we focus on ways in which coworking spaces can actively take part in reducing the carbon footprint:
1.Eliminate SIngle-use plastic
Single-use plastics are very tempting as they are convenient, however they are dreadful for the environment. Due to littering they end up polluting our waterways and oceans and they also require energy to produce and recycle. One of the places to start would be to replace disposable coffee cups with actual mugs that can be rewashed to reduce the coworking space carbon footprint.
In line with the Covid-19 guidelines it is important to ensure that all utensils are sterilised after use so as to prevent the spread of the virus.
2. Turn Off The Lights
Though this may seem like a small thing it is important in ensuring that there is conservation of energy. Powering empty spaces is a huge energy drain. Oftentimes people easily forget to turn off the lights, in order to beat this you can request to install automatic, movement-sensing lights and energy-saving LED bulbs to address the issue.
3.Leverage on Shared Resources
Coworking spaces help in reducing carbon footprint as they pool together various resources that would have otherwise contributed to a higher carbon footprint if they were consumed individually. On average a space could house around 300 people, imagine the amount of energy, water and plastic they would consume if they all had their own office space.
4.Move To Digital
The prevailing global pandemic caught the world by surprise and forced people to adapt to the new way of doing things. As a team it is not easy finding ways to collaborate online but it is possible to stay motivated if every colleague is on the same page. Coworking spaces can encourage their community to try moving away from printed documents where possible and encourage others to work on their digital skills for the workplace.
5.Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
Right from childhood we have constantly heard about the 3 R’s that are important in environmental conservation. Finding a coworking space that is close to where you reside is one way to reduce emissions as this will be more convenient for you to walk to work instead of traveling by road. Choosing to take the stairs instead of the lift is another way to reduce consumption of energy. Not only will this be good for the planet, it is good for your health.
Are you excited about joining a community of hard-working, creative, and innovative start-ups and small businesses that are keen on conserving the environment through reducing carbon footprint? Our office space packages cater to companies at every stage. Email us at join@nairobigarage.com or call us on 0708556955 today for more information or to book a tour.
