For a sustainable entrepreneurship

Since its creation in 2017, L’ATELIER 4.0 has been a resolutely responsible, frugal and somewhere exemplary entrepreneurial project.

How can we credibly support our clients in their transformation, their strategic changes or their creation projects if our activity does not take into account the challenges of tomorrow?

But why engage in this approach when we are a VSE and sell advice? Simply, because for us, it is the responsibility of each actor, small or large, to act to their measure but in conscience for our collective future. And without further ado!

A reality that can no longer be denied …

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon. The sun’s rays supply energy to the Earth, which heats up and emits the same amount of energy in the opposite direction in the form of infrared radiation. These infrared rays are partly returned to space but the majority are retained by gases which constitute a kind of barrier. In this way they return to the earth. Without this greenhouse effect, the temperature of the planet would be -18 ° C, no life would be possible. Naturally, this greenhouse effect makes it possible to have an average temperature of 15 ° C on the earth’s surface.

CO2 (or carbon dioxide) is one of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) that allow this regulation. It is produced naturally by the respiration of animals, men and by the photosynthesis of trees and plants. Carbon dioxide emissions are mainly due to the presence of humans, who form them by burning fossil fuels in order to create energy. This is the case, for example, with oil, coal, gas, etc. Since the industrial revolution, the use of these fuels has greatly changed the quantities of gases emitted into the atmosphere. This irreparably causes an increase in infrared radiation returned to the Earth’s surface, and therefore in temperature.

For example, in 2017, 36.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide were emitted. Planet Earth has not experienced such a concentration of CO2 in its atmosphere for millions of years. Today, it is 1.6 times higher than before the industrial era.

This overproduction of CO2 by humans increases the greenhouse effect tenfold and accelerates the rise in temperature unevenly according to regions of the globe. Since 1975, it has increased by 0.2 degrees every 10 years. This may seem small, but the consequences on our planet are enormous. According to the IPCC, the global average temperature could increase from 1.1 ° C to 6.4 ° C by 2100. It has already increased by around 0.74 ° C over the past century, including 0.65 ° C between 1956-2006.

On land, these changes are causing more droughts and more extreme events (floods, cyclones, etc.). The polar glaciers are melting faster than ever, releasing fresh water that changes the salinity of the water. The vast majority of species are extremely sensitive to this change. This also has the impact of rising sea levels.

Rising CO2 concentrations are also responsible for ocean acidification. The corals and plankton that form the basis of the marine food chain are greatly threatened. Ultimately, this directly threatens more than a million species, which accelerates the 6th mass extinction.

 

In view of these facts, L’ATELIER 4.0 is committed to working on three essential pillars to combat global warming:

The path: Measure, offset and then reduce our CO2 emissions

• MEASURE:
  Since our creation, we have measured all of our CO2 emissions at the end of each year: travel, office energy, equipment, emails, supplies and consumables are converted. Thus, 7 tonnes of CO2 equivalent were emitted in 2019 by L’ATELIER 4.0.
• OFFSET:
  We offset our emissions by planting trees in a reforestation program in Viam in Corrèze. Trees have a fundamental role in the face of climate change. They store CO2 and release O2. They are planted for us by REFORESTACTION. In 2019, we planted 47 new trees; bringing to 72 the number of trees planted since creation. To discover this organization in detail: https://www.reforestaction.com
• REDUCE:
  The challenge for 2020 is to reduce our CO2 emissions by acting on all dimensions of our activity. The measurement tools are in place and the means of compensation as well. The most difficult is still to deliver: maintaining the quality of our services and increasing the resources made available to our customers while controlling our impact.

We manage our approach on a daily basis with the aim of continuous improvement and learning.

A story to follow …