Technology Fighting for Climate Change

The Tech Future is Green

From the Fairphone—a green phone with fewer conflict minerals inside with easily removable components to swap for new ones—to VR cutting travel costs, technology is essential in solving the challenges of climate change and sustainability in the future. Companies like AgFunder are investing in technologies to transform the food and agriculture system to solve the problems of climate change, failing soils, population growth, and eating habits. With the advancements we have made in technology, we are ultimately saving time, energy, and resources that can function toward a world and a future that is more sustainable and environmentally friendly. 

The Sustainability of Salesforce 

One of the reasons we like partnering with Salesforce is how sustainable they are as a company. Salesforce has made great strides in creating a sustainable future. First, by announced in 2017 that it achieved net-zero greenhouse gas emissions globally and delivered customers a carbon-neutral cloud. Then they implemented the most extensive on-site water recycling system in their Salesforce Tower along with their three offices in San Francisco sourcing 100% renewable energy. 

They also support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In September 2019, they announced the Salesforce Sustainability Cloud and Clean Cloud initiative, which this press release announced, “enables businesses to quickly track, analyze and report reliable environmental data to help them reduce their carbon emissions.” By utilizing Salesforce Einstein Analytics, a company can create reports and dashboards with insights on their carbon data and empower businesses to drive climate action programs at scale. But it doesn’t only deliver data, as Patrick Flynn VP of sustainability at Salesforce says, it also “drive[s] the target-setting process and advise[s] on next steps.” 

Groundswell Continuously Growing Greener

Here at Groundswell, we care about taking the necessary steps for a greener tomorrow. Being based in Vancouver, Canada is one of the many perks of working here. Vancouver is the 26th most sustainable city in the world, according to the 2018 Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index. The index factors in social mobility, quality of life, management of energy use, pollution, emissions, business environment, and economic performance to determine how sustainable 100 leading cities in the world compare. Vancouver has a Greenest City Action Plan, which focuses on zero carbon, zero waste, and healthy ecosystems. Having the city with an action plan inspires and helps the people of Vancouver to be conscious of the steps they can take daily to cut down on their carbon footprint.  

Groundswell continues to work on our carbon footprint by biking and using transit to get to work. Most of us are also able to work from home once a week, which cuts down on our travel time and thus our carbon footprint. By working from home and by taking transit instead of driving, Groundswell collectively saves 1 ton of carbon a month. One ton of CO2 can charge 127,532 smartphones! Along with working from home, we also make strides at work by managing our waste and recycling. In our office’s extensive recycling program, we put everything in its place by collecting hard plastics, soft plastics, snack wrappers, organics, paper, aluminum, and bottles. We also recycle all batteries, and electronics and give unnecessary furniture to private recycling programs or by donation groups. 

We partner with some admirable environmentally conscious customers, and we’re continually revamping and improving their systems (via Salesforce solutions) so they can engage and deliver their sustainable vision and ideals to more people across the world. Technology allows us to be more efficient and use critical thinking to make intelligent decisions about the challenges that face us. The closer we can make the tech sphere more eco-friendly, the better we can solve the rest of the world’s problems. These advancements in technology are something that we may take for granted today, but by recognizing their potential, we can plan for a better and sustainable tomorrow. 

Learn more about how we are making waves in our community: https://www.gscloudsolutions.com/careers/our-culture/