Earth Day 2019: Kusto taking steps to protect our planet

Earth Day 2019: Kusto taking steps to protect our planet

Earlier this week, Earth Day reminded us all of our environmental protection responsibilities, with its theme ‘Protect Our Species’ drawing valuable attention to the threat that climate change poses to ecosystems and species around the world. All of us — individuals, businesses, and governments — must take action to protect the wellbeing of our planet. There is no alternative course.

As my colleague, Yerkin Tatishev, made clear after attending the Bloomberg Global Business Forum last year, we at Kusto are determined to play our part. In his words, «we owe it to future generations». My own experience in business has taught me that small improvements can make a big difference. At Kusto, we are constantly analysing our businesses to identify improvements that will help minimise our environmental footprint. Tambour serves as a useful example.

Tambour factories throughout Israel have proactively introduced a range of measures to make their operations as environmentally friendly as possible. This has focused on getting the basics right: making sure all paper, plastic and oils are recycled; eliminating unnecessary energy usage; replacing high-polluting fuels with natural gas; upgrading equipment, such as cooling systems, to greener models. But it also involves more innovative measures, such as at our Akko warehouse, where we have built transparent roofs in the warehouses to save energy by utilizing natural light.

For environmental protection to be at Kusto’s core, we know it must be embedded in our products too. Tambour’s laboratories have worked tirelessly to make this a reality — incorporating recycled materials and removing damaging chemicals wherever possible. For example, we have voluntarily reduced the volume of volatile thinners in our paints. The sum of all these changes is significant and I am proud that Tambour’s decorative paint and other products have been awarded a Green Label from the Standards Institution of Israel for their reduced environmental impact.

Tambour’s record is impressive, but it is also instructive: it shows that making sustainable improvements can also be economically beneficial. By reducing waste and saving valuable resources, companies can streamline their business with little extra investment. Indeed, I am proud to see Tambour reaping the rewards of the Kusto mindset — we constantly look for new and innovative ways to improve our business operations. To play our part in building a greener tomorrow, it is vital we stay true to this ethos.