One of the main reasons why sustainability issues are so complex is that changes are not instantaneous, but rather are the result of the decisions we made in the not-so-distant past. For a greener, more sustainable future, we need to make decisions today – as individuals, businesses, communities, countries.
We’re using the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to sustain our current way of life and ecosystems are unable to keep up with our demands. The result is a warming climate, which in turn will lead to an ever-decreasing CO2 sequestration capacity of the environment. Our planet is no longer able to support our way of life the way it used to. Add to this the depletion of the planet’s resources and the mass extinction of species, and everyone should get the message that we can no longer continue to manage the way we’re used to.
Green transition is a perfect expression because it shows movement. Not just a single action, but a constant transition towards greener, more environmentally friendly activities. As we move forward, the green dimension must be part of every business decision. Will this decision increase or decrease our footprint on the world? Are we taking more than we give or is it the opposite?
The green transition can mean very big investments and radical change. For example, should we heat our premises with gas or with wood residues from manufacturing activities? But in the same way, every small step towards more sustainable activity is a green transition. Do I have to print out a huge quantity of papers or is the job completely digital? Does the forklift often drive around unladen in the warehouse or is the material placed close to the workplace and every movement of the forklift is necessary and well thought out?
The Japanese word ‘muda’ is used for waste in production. This is also perfect for us Estonians – in our language, the word means ‘mud’ and any reduction in mud is good for nature. Be it resources, time, money, transport, overproduction, defective products, etc.
The green transition is what gives the company a competitive advantage. If not now, then tomorrow or the day after. It may be expensive today, but disregarding it is even more expensive. Tomorrow, it could already be too much for us.
Economic success is not just a number that falls below the line in the profit and loss account. Success is also about what a company gives back to society or the environment. Success is measured by whether the people in the company are happy, whether there is a purpose to what they are doing, whether they can contribute to making the world a better place. Whether their activities have a lasting positive impact on the environment.
The green transition is a change in the mindset of all of us. At Thermory, we’ve made this the basis of what we do, rather than regarding it a theoretical idea or someone else’s concern. We’re constantly looking for the small and big steps we can take to reduce our footprint and increase our handprint, i.e. our positive impact on the environment.
Our focus is only on wood treated with heat and water vapour, or thermally modified wood. This kind of wood lasts longer over time than ordinary wood. But we know that as a manufacturing company, our green journey is endless – there are infinite improvements we can make to our processes and operations to benefit nature.
We’ve created the tools and engaged all our people to further our green journey – for example, last year our people made 742 suggestions for improvement, most of which will reduce waste and increase security in our units.
The Green Tiger is a wonderful organisation that strives first and foremost to inform and educate individuals, businesses and public authorities. So that our eyes would remain open and we’d take action in our own homes, businesses and institutions.
Seeing that many good ideas get mired in political disputes or demagogic slogans, nearly 70 companies, with the support of the Green Tiger, have launched a petition stating that we’ll continue with the green transition in any case.
What is a contribution, even a tiny one, you could make today to boost the green transition?
Thermory is all about promoting the use of timber. With functional, greatly enhanced timber we create lasting value in order to bequeath to future generations a living environment that is more sustainable and closer to nature. Green Tiger motivated us to join others in striving for greener and more responsible enterprise.