While central government may be quite slow to regulate against the effects of climate change, society as a whole is more attentive. In fact, people now expect organisations to be proactive in this regard and to take full responsibility for any emissions that they may create. This is why it's important for those who are in charge of managing such a facility to be proactive and to make sure that they are ahead of the game in terms of their own impact. If you're in this position, are you sure that you are being as active as possible?

Next Level

Most facilities like yours are regulated to an extent by federal, state and local authorities, and these laws are only likely to get more stringent as the pressure grows. It's not really good enough to do what is required and no more, and if you really want to make a difference, then you should go much further.

Benchmarks

To begin with, you need to have monitoring and recording systems in place and have established your benchmarks. This will require a full environmental impact assessment, and this is not something that is done only once but must be commissioned on a regular basis.

Consultant

You will also need to be aware of any changes in legislation or any trends in that direction, whether they are domestic or international. You should engage with an air quality consultant on retainer as they will find it a lot easier to keep on top of any changes and advise you as needed.

Engaged Staff

Make sure that all your staff are trained and understand that it is your priority to be as environmentally conscious as possible. Do not keep them in the dark but make sure that you engage them as much as possible, even if you have to give them some form of financial incentive to do so.

Other Benefits

Organisations that are particularly proactive may find that they uncover some hidden benefits, simply by analysing their emissions and understanding their various income streams. By modifying a specific process in one part of the facility, they may be able to generate energy in another that can be diverted and used for another purpose.

First Step

Every major facility needs to be a good corporate citizen and neighbour and will be held to task if they are not. If you haven't done so in a while, commission an environmental impact assessment right now to get the ball rolling.