The founders of Verdure Planet are dedicated to helping people and businesses make the transition to sustainable, environmentally conscious living. There’s a lot to talk about because many people still believe that real change cannot be achieved on an individual level – but even shopping more consciously can make a difference. In this article, we introduce the founders, the aims of the startup Verdure Planet, and the huge challenge we all face together – climate change.
The threat posed by climate change
In 2015, world leaders adopted ambitious new goals to combat climate change. To avoid the severe impacts of this problem, humanity has just 30 years to stop emitting carbon dioxide if it wants to succeed in limiting the global average annual temperature increase to around 1.5 to 2 °C. But what exactly is climate change? Why is it dangerous, and what are we trying to avoid?
While there have indeed been countless examples of dramatic changes in the climate throughout Earth’s history (think of the ice ages), humanity has accelerated this process. Various industrial, agricultural, and logistical activities release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. The release of these large amounts of carbon dioxide has profound effects on the complexity of our environment, most notably through a dramatic increase in average temperature.
Depending on our location, we already feel this change in different ways. Summers are getting hotter, temperature records are being broken, and the order of the seasons seems to be dissolving. For example, it was reported that there was a massive snowstorm on Hawaii’s largest island a few weeks ago. As the polar ice caps melt, the issue is becoming more critical as the ocean system, which has the most significant influence on our climate, is also being turned upside down.
As a result, the Earth’s temperature is now about 1 degree warmer than before the Industrial Revolution. This warmth has already had severe consequences, but to avoid a natural catastrophe, we need to stop warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, preferably sooner rather than later. Meaning that we have less than ten years to curtail our emissions significantly; otherwise, it will be too late due to the greenhouse gasses already accumulating in the atmosphere, the further increase in emissions, and their spillover effects.
While more and more people recognize the opportunity to take action on climate change at the individual or corporate level, there are still many areas where there is much room for improvement.
Sustainability education
To avoid a full-scale climate catastrophe, everyone must work together, but the necessary knowledge is still lacking in many areas. It’s no coincidence that two young college students, Sean Owens and Grant Warfield, have joined forces to educate people and businesses about sustainability.
Verdure Planet is dedicated to educating the public and corporate sectors about sustainability. To advance the globe towards carbon neutrality, it offers goods to firms in the technology and healthcare industries.
Sean and Grant founded Verdure Planet to deliver premium eco-friendly products that are inexpensive and innovatively created while also benefiting the environment and the community. They educate the public and private sectors on the importance of sustainability and what individuals and businesses can do to be more environmentally conscientious. The founders also intend to launch a new range of eco-friendly items to encourage green living by reducing energy consumption and preventing air, water, noise, and light pollution.
The founders behind Verdure Planet
Both founders are LEED accredited professionals with in-depth knowledge of green building management and operations. They will bring their previous knowledge to bear under the Verdure Planet umbrella.
The LEED AP (Accredited Professional) designation denotes a high level of expertise in green building methods and the ability to specialize in a particular LEED Rating System. There are two parts to the LEED AP test. The LEED Green Associate exam is the first phase, and it tests the general understanding of green construction methods. The second section consists of a specialist exam based on the LEED Reference Guides.
Grant, an Eagle Scout, has always had a commitment to the environment. While Grant specialized in operations and maintenance, Sean focused on building design and construction. The founders have been certified in sustainable business strategy by Harvard Business School. Despite Sean’s young age, he has already managed several projects, including a solar financial feasibility analysis for 222-unit affordable housing development with a budget of around $50 million and spearheading the reintroduction of a clean energy policy in future developments through the use of solar. Sean has also joined the Sustainability accounting standards board due to its commitment to encouraging people and businesses to adapt to new sustainable practices.
Individual action matters
“Individual actions do make a difference,” the two environmentalists emphasize. Sustainability is not only something that can and should be done at the corporate level but also at home and in everyday life.
The question often asked is whether or not sustainability is more expensive: the answer is that it may seem so at first glance, but the financial benefits make themselves felt in the long run. For example, if you do not buy a separate bottle of water for every meal but switch to a refillable bottle, it will be more expensive at first. However, good quality tap water is a healthier and much cheaper alternative than bottled water in the long run. And if potable tap water is not available, using a container larger than a gallon can be a good solution.
You can make a difference in every area of your life to reduce your carbon footprint. A few actionable ideas from the founders of Verdure Planet that you can apply anytime:
- Buy from local growers
- Use reusable containers and bags
- If you can, take the train instead of flying
- Use a bicycle for shorter distances
- Use motion-controlled lights in the office
- Look at your home or office from an energy/operational standpoint. You can make significant savings with a few minor changes.
Why Verdure Planet?
Verdure Planet is a cutting-edge sustainability firm that focuses on public and private sector sustainability education. While also assisting businesses in the healthcare, hospitality, and technology sectors in achieving their ESG goals to get the globe closer to net-zero emissions.
If you want to strengthen your environmental awareness further or are looking for solutions to minimize your company’s environmental footprint, the Verdure Planet team will be happy to assist you. Visit their website if you are interested in working with LEED specialists.
Connect with the founders on LinkedIn and visit Verdure Planet’s Website and social media pages.
