SUSTAINABILITY-INTEGRATED INDUSTRIES
INDUSTRY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Industrial sustainability is a concept that refers to an industry’s ability to operate to standards that guarantee the preservation of the environment, the promotion of social development and economic viability, all without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It currently follows standards such as ESG Management (Environmental, Social and Governance), and the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)
In 1995, the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development approved a set of sustainable development indicators to serve as a reference for developing countries or to review national sustainable development indicators, which were approved in 1996 and revised in 2001 and 2007. Also known as the Global Goals, they were adopted by the member countries of the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity
Target framework
ESG-ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE
ESG: understand what it means and what the criteria are ESG practices are fundamental to guaranteeing the sustainability and long-term success of companies. Integrating these practices helps to reduce risks related to the environment, social issues and governance, promoting a more sustainable and ethical operation.
The acronym ESG comes from the English language and stands for “Environmental, Social and Governance”. This metric or index evaluates good business practices related to sustainable criteria1. Basically, ESG encompasses three pillars:
Environmental: This includes aspects such as waste management, deforestation policies (where applicable) and the company’s use of renewable energy sources.
Social: This refers to the organization’s social practices, such as its position on social issues and its impact on the community.
Governance: Evaluates the company’s corporate governance structure, transparency, ethics and responsibility.
In conclusion, sustainable development is characterized by the search for ways to meet the needs of today’s society without compromising future generations. It is necessary to harmonize economic, productive and social activities. Industries need to work to find ways of producing, polluting less, without eliminating waste.
REDUZIR A GERAÇÃO DE RESÍDUOS
One of the most recognized methods today, due to its growing popularity and use in recent years, is recycling. Recycling is so efficient because it avoids the waste that an industry would have to discard material that still has some potential for use. As well as avoiding losses, this contributes to an improvement in the operation’s results and increases the company’s visibility on the market.
INDUSTRY 4.0 IN THE ENVIRONMENT
With the use of the most advanced software, industries are now able to monitor, control and predict all possible production scenarios. This monitoring and future analysis is directly linked to environmental management, since artificial intelligence itself is able to make decisions on how to manufacture a product more economically and in a way that generates less waste than standard production.
When industry and the environment are in harmony, everyone benefits: society, which gains quality of life; natural resources, which are preserved; and organizations, since sustainable practices reduce costs and improve the company’s image. That’s why it’s important to understand the main environmental impacts in order to reduce the potential damage caused by companies.