Your sustainability efforts require a baseline

Posted: April 04, 2024

The growing emphasis on sustainability is challenging organizations worldwide to lower their environmental footprint. But how can they succeed without a standard against which they can measure their progress? Establishing a baseline emerges as a key step in any organization’s journey toward sustainability. 

Taking on sustainability initiatives without a comprehensive grasp of your current impact makes it difficult to measure progress. A baseline serves as the anchoring point, offering a benchmark against which sustainability efforts can be meticulously monitored and evaluated across temporal horizons.

However, numbers don’t tell the whole story. Here’s how setting a baseline helps you gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of your initiatives:

• Identifying successes: You’ll see where your efforts are paying off. Whether it’s reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste, or promoting eco-friendly practices, a baseline enables you to pinpoint your achievements.
• Spotting opportunities: On the other hand, a baseline reveals areas for improvement. It’ll uncover if your water usage is higher than expected, or if your supply chain emits more greenhouse gases than expected. Armed with this knowledge, you can strategize effectively and take corrective actions.

Beyond data, a baseline allows you to weave a compelling narrative. Consider stakeholders, customers, and the community. When you share your sustainability journey, backed by concrete numbers, it resonates. Your baseline becomes the evidence—showcasing your commitment to a better future.

Let’s explore some common baseline metrics:

• Energy consumption: Measure your current energy usage. Are there opportunities to switch to renewable sources or optimize energy-intensive processes?
• Carbon emissions: Calculate your carbon footprint. How much CO2 does your organization emit?
• Water usage: Quantify water consumption. Can you implement water-saving practices or reuse strategies?
• Waste generation: Assess waste production. Are there ways to minimize waste or increase recycling?

Conclusion:

Creating a baseline goes beyond just caring about the environment; it's also a smart business move. Taking that first step is crucial. Measure, look closely, and let your baseline guide you toward a more sustainable future. Reach out to us if you’re interested in discovering how AVEVA™ PI System™ can help you find your baseline.

AVEVA PI System, formerly OSIsoft PI System, is an innovative data management solution crafted specifically for industrial environments. It simplifies the collection and storage of data from various sources, offering quick insights to optimize business operations—all without needing to write complex code. It's built for speedy deployment and immediate return on investment, providing a range of integrated solutions suitable for engineers, decision-makers, and analysts alike, all while ensuring adherence to IT policies. By offering deeper operational insights, faster data analysis, and improved visibility of remote assets and IIoT sensors, AVEVA PI System enhances operational efficiency and sustainability for businesses.