Sustainability is a huge business priority and the next C-suite hire will be a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO). Clevernet already has a CSO, our very own Kieran "kWh" McCrea who is a subject matter expert in this space. You will hear more from Kieran later in this blog.
I attended a conference at the start of March, the All Ireland Sustainability Summit. Some of the attendees there had shiny new job titles, "Head of Sustainability, Head of Innovation & Sustainability" and were on the lookout for some thought leadership and inspiration.
A second conference in 2 weeks where the topic of Sustainability featured heavily was the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation Business Summary, where I was a delegate. We had a number of customers in attendance and it was heartening to hear about the positive impact the Hotel sector makes on the local economy. The speaker from Grant Thornton told the audience:
Total expenditure related to tourism in NI could be as high as £3.5 billion!
Takeaways from this event at the Hilton in Belfast were:
Customers are also seeking hotels with free Wi-Fi.
Sustainability was a key requirement from prospective guests, particularly tourists from continental Europe.
Customers are looking for free breakfasts included in their room rate.
Clevernet can assist with the first 2 points.
Check out indeed.com which shows 135 jobs open in England as of today with the word "Sustainability" in them, a number that is only likely to grow. If you are interested in this area, you will have a great career path to develop in the immediate future.
Startups and Sustainability
Due to other work commitments, unfortunately, I was only able to hear the first 2 hours of plenary content at the All-Ireland Sustainability Summit, before having to dash off. One very interesting story I wanted to share was a local startup that re-uses second-hand denim, to make designer bags - Titanic Denim.
In a previous blog, I wrote about how Belfast is buzzing again and I wanted to bring you a really cool local startup that deserves a mention. Where I work from my hot desk is right on the edge of the Titanic Quarter in Belfast and it is heartening to hear about principles of innovation and design continue today from the former shipyard. If you check out their website, there is a call-to-action to "send us your old denim" which I loved and may well do.
Another story I wanted to share was one from my own sustainability archives and the story of recycled skateboards that are made into furniture, bowls, or even pieces of jewelry. I give you the world of Adrian & Martinus, 2 brothers who joined their joinery skills in a joint venture to bring us adrianmartinus.com.
I saw some of their products on Instagram a few years back and started following their page and took the plunge to buy a valet bowl (every refined and distinguished Sales & Marketing geek needs a valet bowl) at the start of this year.
There was a hand-written note in with the bowl and it was very well packaged as it made its way across the Atlantic - great service and unboxing!
Tell us what are some of your startup sustainability success stories
Clevernet & Sustainability
This may well turn out to be an awkward sales pitch following a series of stories...so, here goes. One of the speakers at the Sustainability conference was talking about how we will run out of minerals by 2050 at our current rates of consumption. Forgive me, but I do not recall who this was, but the point of the story is critical to humanity if we want to give our children a better future.
A case study was shared at the All-Ireland Sustainability Summit about a larger European retailer who spent 2 million on a new energy management system with a payback in 7 years. We have clients who expect a payback within 12 months, which is exactly what we deliver with ECCO.
Sustainability is a term used to describe the practice of using resources to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainability is about balancing economic, social, and environmental factors to create a more equitable and just world for all.
Sustainability is critical for the long-term health of our planet. The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly severe, and there is a growing understanding that we need to change our behavior if we want to avoid the worst impacts of this crisis. At the heart of the sustainability movement is the belief that we can create a better world by working together to reduce our impact on the environment.
CSO & ECCO
Let's hear from our own CSO, Kieran McCrea, as he shares his thoughts on the subject:
"Clevernet is on a mission is help building owners and management companies make their assets more sustainable. Join us as we help offices and Hotels dramatically reduce their energy footprint. We have the technology and experience to help accelerate this journey to zero carbon while making a quick impact on energy consumption. Our promise is to give you an ROI within 12 months with low, or no CAPEX. Let's work together on this mission"
Kieran McCrea, Chief Sustainability Officer at Clevernet.
Ed-ilogue
The Ed-ilogue is back by popular demand for this blog. Support your local startup scene, especially companies in the sustainability space. Clevernet and Adrian Martinus Design are not business partners, nor do we have any affiliation; what we do share is a dream to create something new, facilitating a better world, helping folk to be more sustainable and delivering excellent customer service.
Photos are either my own or from a free image bank and no ChatGPT was used in the making of this blog.