JUNE 5, 2011 IS WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY!
Aquabest and its mother company GQWEST Inc would like to join the world in celebrating and working towards the ideals of World Environment Day (WED).
Environment Day was started in 1972 and aims to stimulate environmental awareness and spur public action. Since then it has been celebrated every year on June 5. This year the theme for the celebrations is Forests: Nature At Your Service. The campaign aims to raise awareness about forests and help stop and reverse deforestation by promoting sustainable forest management, while moving towards a green economy.
The company has long recognized the importance of forest conservation not just for the maintenance of the environment but also to ensure the continuity of its business. That is why the company has long supported environmental conservation initiatives. It also began its own tree planting campaign but still continued to look for ways to innovate with its corporate shared values program. That is why the company launched its “Green Mindset” campaign.
The campaign was launched with the grand vision of eventually giving back more than it takes. From its beginnings as a tree planting program the company decided to expand it to make greater contributions to the betterment of society. “We started the program after seeing the impact of environmental degradation, which affects our business by diminishing the water supplies our stores, rely on,” says Carson Tan CEO of GQWEST.
In recognition of its origins, the company plans to upgrade their participation with the Haribon Foundation’s tree planting efforts. The company plans to employ local residents in the tree-planting site to take care of the tree planted. Hiring the locals will provide them livelihood while at the same time increasing the survival rates of the plants.
Expanding from its tree planting roots is the company’s efforts to make its operations carbon neutral and reengineer them so all its activities contribute to the program. This will make the program not only sustainable but also indistinct from the company’s day-to-day operations.
Another is the combostore concept that maximizes water usage by integrating a Laundromat with the water store utilizing the 60 percent of a stations water input normally discarded as part of the water filtration process. They also use environmentally friendly detergents eliminating any pollutants as well as technology to use less detergent.
“The combostore, is part of our efforts to show that eco friendliness and business can coexist. You don’t have to choose between profit and being environmentally conscious, with innovation you can integrate them,” says Tan.
Complementing the resource efficiency measures it practices is the recycling program it instituted for its plastic bottles. The company also plans to reduce their energy consumption, by utilizing solar panels to provide part of their stores power needs.
Through these initiatives, the company hopes to do its share in spreading the ideals of WED. The company understands that it cannot do it alone but it believes that it can serve as an example for other companies to follow. It hopes that the success of the Green Mindset Program will show other companies that being profitable and being ecofriendly can go hand in hand.
World Environment Day celebrated in the Philippines
