Expanding its influence with Philippine industries in incorporating environmental sustainability programs in their operations, Globe Business encourages enterprises to reduce their carbon footprint in order to help make their businesses better and “greener.”
The enterprise ICT arm of Globe Telecom closely collaborates with its corporate clientele to increase scale and impact of their environmental conservation efforts for conservation, energy optimization and waste management initiatives.
“Globe Business is taking a step further by supporting environmental sustainability efforts which are closest to the goals of our clients, apart from adopting such into our own organization. We make it possible for companies to be involved in reviving the environment integral in their corporate sustainability thrusts,” said Globe Sr. Vice Pres. for Enterprise Group Nikko Acosta.
Leading the local ICT industry in implementing environmental sustainability efforts, Globe Business will once again back-up the Roots and Shoots program of the Cordillera Conservation Trust (CCT) by powering the sixth edition of the successful Cordillera Challenge (“Cordi 6”) mountain biking event, the Cordilleras’ premier conservation effort.
Recreational cyclists from all over the Philippines, including corporate clients of Globe Business, will converge anew for the “Cordi 6” on May 2, 2015, Saturday, in Tublay, Benguet. The biking event will let them explore again the heart of the Cordillera terrain while showcasing the ecosystem and culture of the region to drive awareness on the need to protect and rebuild forest areas.
This year, the long-distance mountain bike event will feature two courses where the elements will challenge the bikers’ skills and resolve: the 65-kilometer Epic and the 35-kilometer Mini Epic. Both have 50% worth of climbs and descents as well as technical rides over loose soils and double tracks through forests, steep trails, rough roads, stream crossings, and varying climates.
As in previous years, Globe Business and CCT will leverage on the “Cordi 6” to create larger nurseries for “Roots and Shoots.” At least 200,000 seedlings in elementary schools within beneficiary municipalities covered by the project will replenish bald mountainsides, support the enhancement of community watersheds, and prevent landslides in critical areas toward reforestation of approximately 214 hectares of land in the area. In the three years of the program, it has established 107 nurseries in 11 municipalities.
Also included in the “green blueprint” of Globe Business and CCT for “Roots and Shoots” are environmental education for children in schools where nurseries will be established, providing possible livelihood sources for the participating schools and communities, as well as inclusion of maintenance in their curriculum and yearly activities, among others.
As a holistic private-public partnership project, Globe Business and CCT will likewise collaborate with the regional Department of Education, local elementary schools and local government units, who in turn will build the nurseries together with the schools’ students, parents-teachers association as well as volunteers from the locality.
Globe Business also harnesses environmental sustainability initiatives starting with its own portfolio of products and services which encourage tempering carbon dioxide in the environment. Its teleconferencing solutions and collaboration tools for instance reduce the need for road travel and flights, indirectly cutting down CO2 emissions. The innovative Canvas software also pushes for a paperless workplace, cutting down the need for printing documents to save trees as a result. By promoting the use of the Google suite of applications, especially Gmail, businesses can save up to 172.8 kW of energy as well as 101.6 kilograms of carbon per user yearly as they use a cloud service rather than those running on local servers.
The business segment of Globe also manifests care for the environment with its world-class data centers. They operate with recent global industry certifications, such as ISO 14001 for Environmental Management System, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems 18001:2007 in one facility, and an ISO 14001:2014 certification in another. Other initiatives cover cost reduction in electricity consumption to more than P30 million in 2014.
Globe Business also takes significant steps in lowering solid waste, electronic waste (e-waste), and hazardous waste from products and operations to reduce impact on the environment. Last year, Globe Business helped launch its wide-scale e-waste recycling program via Project 1 Phone to build schools in Aklan made from old mobile phone parts.
By spearheading Project 1 Phone, Globe Business led the biggest e-waste recycling program in the country, encouraging clients to take active part by donating old phones during caravans in their respective companies. Project 1 Phone was instrumental in building schools in Aklan, which was badly hit by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. The program ultimately helped Globe as a company generate more than P8 million in funds to rebuild classrooms in the said province.
