How is the global mobility industry focusing on sustainability?

The future is going to come, but the question is, "What's the world going to look like when we get there?" Many think economic interests will conflict with environmental interests, that it's one or the other. But the Nature Conservancy partnered with the University of Minnesota and 11 other organizations to ask whether it is possible to achieve a future where the needs of both people and nature are advanced. Can we actually meet people’s needs for food, water and energy and do more to protect nature? Their article, entitled "A Sustainable Future: Two Paths to 2050," helps detail out two possible ways things could go, and it is scary — or is it exciting? Guess that depends on what decisions we make and which path we go down.

The article got me pondering about what 2021 will bring in terms of the environment, sustainability and climate science. This recent article from LiveKindly shares five really interesting trends they are seeing happening right now out there in the world to elevate sustainability. They are:

1.  Protein is getting completely reimagined.
2.  "Circularity" (a closed-loop circle) is emerging everywhere — this is seen in communities that are upcycling, repurposing and passing on goods.
3.  People in power will show support (and maybe even lead) — getting everyone on the same page will be challenging, and great leadership will be critical.
4.  "Greenwashing," or when a company gives a false impression that a product is better for the planet than it actually is, will reach new heights — meaning people are lying or distracting from the damage they are actually doing.
5.  We’ll see more green innovations in buildings and cities that create efficiencies that minimize or eliminate pollution or other negative environmental impacters.

While I know my family at home and my family at work (Plus Relocation) makes an effort to reduce our impact on the environment (things like composting, more effort to recycling, using metal straws, managing lights and heat), I wasn't aware of the degree of effort being put forth from the global mobility/relocation industry at large. Again, I know Plus suppliers and their subcontractors are vetted to ensure they are complying with all environmental rules, regulations and standards applicable to their operations, but there are some unique things that are being done by some of those industry service partners. These include:

• "Officing in the cloud" — going paperless
• Providing "real" cups, plates, silverware, glasses, etc. to avoid the use of disposable items
• Selecting office locations close to public transportation
• Using water coolers with reusable cups
• Paying suppliers and bills through e-checks to reduce paper, postage and printing
• Using environmentally friendly cleaning products
• Using low energy light bulbs

There are many other initiatives being taken by different partner types across the mobility industry. Here are some examples:

Temporary living partners: Corporate apartment companies are working to reduce their ecological footprint by: placing recycling receptacles in every unit, ordering in bulk to minimize packaging, using EcoLab Aquanomic (or similar) cleaning solutions which use 40% less energy and 30% less water, and participating in sustainability programs like "PCs for People" or the "Chicago Furniture Bank." Many also sell — or work with partners that sell — their gently used furniture at outlets as opposed to it going into landfills.

Destination service partners: DSPs are focused on using hybrid/electric cars, materials for customers and internal employees that are electronic and delivered via a portal or intranet, paperless file management processes, more virtual service delivery options, and allowing for remote/hybrid work to promote reduction in transportation exhaust and reduced carbon footprint.

Household goods moving partners: Shippers are using sustainable packing materials that have been recycled and will be again, including plastic corrugated wall protection because it is more durable than cardboard and is more environmentally friendly as it can be re-used hundreds of times before recycling it. They're also creating energy efficient warehouses, using greener trucks and vehicles, leveraging intermodal transport where fewer vehicles on the road are needed with fewer resources used and fewer emissions (getting higher value for each relocation dollar at the same time) and using virtual surveys. Additionally, programs that help people to discard or donate personal belongings not only reduce the cost of shipments, but save packaging materials and energy that would have been used for shipping those goods!

One great example to call out for their sustainability efforts is "Home Sweet Home." As a result of their "Discard and Donate" service, along with their "Save a Tree, Plant a Tree" program, their clients are responsible for saving and planting over 100,000 trees. In 2020, 5,313 trees were saved and an additional 19,589 were planted for a positive environmental impact of 24,903 trees. Amazing!

While some have been working hard to move us all to more sustainable mindset, the pandemic caused us to change behaviors immediately and exposed the degree of impact we can actually have (in a positive way). We have seen cities around the globe with dramatically improved air quality. According to ScienceNews, there was a dramatic drop in emissions of greenhouse gases and a dip in seismic noises produced by humans. As we head toward an end to the pandemic and toward economic recovery, what behaviors will we implement to protect the environment while we build our businesses to perform profitably?