Right now, the environment is a hot topic. And when it comes to environmental sustainability, Silicon Valley is proving once again that it leads the way in innovations. Startups are hiring Sustainability Managers, winning awards for their forward thinking, and showing the rest of the country how it’s done.
California Goals
Earlier this year Governor Jerry Brown announced his ‘50/50/50 goals’. By 2030 Brown wants the state to get 50 percent of its electricity from renewables while cutting petroleum use by cars and trucks by 50 percent and increasing the efficiency of existing buildings by 50 percent. Hence, 50/50/50. California already is number one in the country in electronic vehicle sales so they are on their way.
California is looking to both private and public sector partners to help meet this goals and improve sustainability across the board. This includes recycling in all areas, from paper to water.
Tech Companies Can Help
Industry leaders have actually made a plea to tech companies and startups: Help us improve our strides. Provide us with new innovations to increase sustainability.
At last year’s Joint Venture Silicon Valley’s annual State of the Valley conference, the keynote speaker, Benjamin Barber, asked Silicon Valley to make better use of technology to benefit the common good.
And Silicon Valley is already rising to the challenge. Ira Ehrenpreis, chairman of the World Energy Innovation Forum and a director at Tesla Motors, reported that advancements in energy innovation in this sector has helped the Valley take steps toward reaching the state’s new goals.
Over the last ten years, investment in clean technology has risen from less than half a billion dollars to over three billion dollars, with most of these startups located in Silicon Valley. Investors are looking to help power energy innovation.
Silicon Valley has the talent to make the differences. In fact, most companies now employ Sustainability Managers (or Officers). These positions help to analyze and predict the company’s future outlook, present stability, and environmental impact.
These people help to create strategies which make their companies greener and educate workers on how to make their workplace a better partner to the environment, increasing recycling measures and more.
Recycling Efforts
Companies like Silicon Valley’s Chegg are doing their fair share (and more). This education company is an amazing resource for those seeking a career or professional development in sustainability and green practices, thorough online courses, training and employment services.
Sustainability is just one way in which the technology industry contributes to a greener global community, but they are doing it in leaps and bounds.
